The concept of “quiet quitting” has gained attention and with the rise of home office teams, dealing with it can become more complex. And Remote Work is Here to Stay so you may want to know how! But What is it? In this blog, I will delve into that and also how to handle it effectively.
WHAT’S “QUIET QUITTING”?
So, just by the name you may already think of this as a bad thing, which depending on who you are definitely can be, but it doesn’t have to. Before defining this I wanted to present another term that may give it perspective, virtual burnout.
Now with this in mind, quiet quitting or virtual burnout is a situation where an employee or worker withdraws their effort, enthusiasm, and commitment to their work without overtly expressing their dissatisfaction. This definition may prompt you to think of someone irresponsible or lazy who is taking advantage of the flexibility of working from home.
But this is why I present the phrase virtual burnout or just burnout because it’s people prioritizing their mental health over work. If you haven’t worked remotely you may greatly underestimate the difficulty of balancing life and work in that setting, if so take a look at “Tips For Working From Home” to Learn More!
That being said quiet quitting/burnout is not exclusive to working in a home office schedule. You can experience burnout in any position from customer service to manager, at home, in-office, hybrid, in school, and even if it’s your dream job, just ask famous musicians and professional athletes.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN A REMOTE SETTING?
I do recognize that there are people who function with a bad work ethic but I think the majority recognize that working from home is a great perk and wouldn’t want to take it for granted. Remote Work is Transforming the Work Landscape in Latin America! And we want to continue to reap its benefits.
But there is a spectrum of how quiet quitting can present itself in my opinion, from reduced participation in team meetings to flat-out being excessively late or not showing up. It can be decreased communication to missing deadlines. Another example of burnout is if their initiative has minimized, it’s basically doing the bare minimum required by a job and not much more.
You should have a better understanding of this notion of quiet quitting now, so as a business owner with a remote team, how do you manage this?
HOW TO ADDRESS BURNOUT?
It’s not as simple as just stress, it can be a culmination of personal and work-related things, like work culture and work/life balance. For example, mental and physical exhaustion, neglected self-care, and relationship strain whether with colleagues, supervisors, or even loved ones. So, what can you do?
Don’t get me wrong this is a tough task to take on but here are some best practices:
OPEN & SUPPORTIVE COMMUNICATION:
In almost any facet of life, communication is key so why wouldn’t work and work relationships be the same? Creating an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their concerns and feedback is important for promoting a good work culture and ultimately reducing things like quiet quitting.
PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
I don’t mean promoting and giving raises, although when deserved if given will increase morale, but I’m talking more about providing training, virtual workshops, and online courses to enhance their skills and a huge plus if these align with their professional goals and interests. LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report showed a great majority would stay at a company longer if it invested in their professional growth.
SETTING CLEAR GOALS & DEADLINES:
This goes somewhat in line with communication but it was worth mentioning. Being clear about expectations, clearly stating roles, deadlines, and providing feedback on performance can empower workers. Employees working with that clarity are more likely to feel motivated and engaged. Engagement and motivation will increase their productivity and reduce burnout.
For more tips take a look at “How To Manage a Remote Team”
Quiet quitting in a home office team can reduce productivity and hinder team morale, especially if it’s a small to mid-size company.
By promoting a good work/life balance and work culture, and monitoring performance, you can not only successfully mitigate quiet quitting and burnout but also, you can build a resilient and motivated workforce that thrives in the remote work landscape.
This blog was written by the staff at Ventes Mexico LLC Ventes Mexico is a top-rated outsource recruitment firm located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Founded by an American, with 16 years of living in Mexico, Ventes Mexico operates in the USA and Mexico. The company specialized in remote staffing and headhunting. Each of its employees is 100% bilingual (English/Spanish).
