#QuietQuitting is trending. I think everyone’s disgust is focused on the wrong person.
In case you’ve been under a rock or avoid the news better than I, let’s briefly discuss how #QuietQuitting came to be.
Simply, it’s labeling young workers who appear to not work a full shift at their job. Most are in the technology space working at the largest businesses like TikTok.
Sometimes the videos are from the individual recording a day in their life which often starts late and ends early with several luxurious breaks.
Other times it’s from individuals leaving work extra early (around lunchtime) because they’ve completed work early. And in most cases, you can assume the employee is salary and not hourly. Again it’s just an assumption.
In typical social media fashion, the individuals are being dragged as lazy, yadda yadda.
But…I think that’s incorrect.
The employee is not 100% to blame. If they’re completing the work assigned to them, great.
I think the real issue is with their managers.
The managers need to be held accountable and hold their team accountable.
I’ve worked at several technology businesses. There’s never a shortage of work. We’re always in search for more hours in a day.
This is not a work life balance argument. A fulltime position as defined by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a job that requires employees to work a minimum of 30 hours in a week.
Let’s stop blaming the employees because it fits a narrative the media is obsessed with (young people are lazy).
It’s possible these individuals are checking out early is because they are efficient at their job. This is untapt potential for these companies to leverage and increase their value.
Everyone: why it’s bad, what it is
Angle: why quiet quitting is encouraging
Articles about quiet quitting destroying businesses
Articles about quiet quitting being embraced as work life balance
Read it as lack of motivation from leadership
Many of the best employees crave work. They’ll search for it. Ask for it.
Other top notch employees may not. It’s not necessarily because they are bad or lazy. Some might be.
But what they are is not motivated. It’s not on them to be motivated. It’s on their leadership.
Their leadership should sit the goals and strategy. The employee is held accountable to reach the goal.
If they do, then great. Keep pushing them.
Yes, you’re getting more for
Ask a senior employee at any high growth business who their favorite boss was. It’s highly unlikely they will say it was the one who let them slide by.
It was the one that pushed them and challenged them regularly.
Tommy had Peep. I had Shegun.
There’s a lot of dragging these employees posting days in their life on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
It’s not 100% their fault. Who’s their manager? That’s the person not pushing their team to be better. It’s not only negatively effecting the business. But it’s not building up the employees.