Post-pandemic, quiet quitting has become a global threat to workplaces, with employees who feel disengaged with their roles opting to do the bare minimum. There’s another trend emerging however that’s just as worrying and potentially even more damaging: welcome to the era of loud quitting. According to research conducted by Gallup, around 1 in 5 employees worldwide loud quit.
But what does loud quitting look like in practice, and why do employers need to get ahead of this trend?
Recognising loud quitting
When an employee quiet quits, there may not be any drama or fireworks. Their direct managers may not even realise there is a problem initially. That’s because the minimum requirements of the role are still being fulfilled and the employee in question typically won’t convey their unhappiness in a vocal way.
Loud quitting is the exact opposite, with employees taking affirmative action to convey their frustration and dissatisfaction. This may well take the form of verbal complaints made to line managers and team leaders, but it could equally manifest as negative comments posted online, a negative attitude which seeps out and upsets the balance of an otherwise harmonious team, or a refusal to do certain tasks.
A loud quitter likely won’t quit right away. Instead, their behaviour will escalate over a period of time, building up to the ultimate resignation. In the run up to their resignation, there’s plenty of opportunity for an unpleasant atmosphere to develop, productivity to decline and reputational damage to be inflicted.
What causes loud quitting?
There are many reasons why an employee may opt to loud quit but the root cause is almost always a sense of frustration or resentment.
Perhaps they feel overlooked or undervalued or no longer feel a sense of purpose in their role. If the company has recently undergone a shift, they may feel at odds with changes that have taken place.
Stressed employees may also have a tendency to loud quit – too heavy a workload, changing role parameters or an unsupportive manager can all increase stress and anxiety.
A lack of development opportunities or formal recognition can also breed resentment and frustration. This can subsequently lead employees to disengage with their work or provoke a shift in attitude.
How can you deal with loud quitting?
By its nature, loud quitting can be much more disruptive to an organisation than quiet quitting. Public protests, disagreements and negativity can quickly cause other team members to rethink their own positions, damage your company culture and be toxic to your company reputation. Managing loud quitting requires a multi-pronged approach that tackles the causes of disengagement, stress, and frustration:
- Regular feedback: Regular sit downs with your team will make it much easier to spot shifts in attitude. Whether this is a formal review at a set interval or an informal chat on a regular basis, checking in with your people ensures you’re better placed to recognise early signs of disengagement and frustration. Feedback should be a two-way street. Meetings and reviews also provide a forum for your team to raise any issues they are facing in a formal setting. This allows for complaints such as too heavy a workload or a lack of support to be addressed before they develop into more deeply rooted problems. More general feedback, such as thoughts on culture, motivation and resources can be gathered via annual surveys.
- Recognition: Employee recognition is a core part of manging the loud quitting trend. After all, those who feel seen, appreciated, and valued are much less likely to harbour feelings of resentment or stress.
- Development pathways: Offering clear development opportunities is key to retaining employees. 96% of respondents to one survey said the chance to continually develop new skills was important or very important to them. In another survey, 70% of workers admit to being tempted to quit their roles and jump ship to another company which invested more in employee development.
Offering training and development pathways doesn’t just help with retention, it can also help increase engagement and satisfaction levels, boost loyalty and productivity, and reduce the likelihood of loud quitting.
