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If you're feeling like 'persona non grata' at work, you could be experiencing the effects of what is currently being referred to as 'quiet firing'. The term has come into vogue after multiple stories of 'quiet quitting' made the rounds on social media and in the press recently.
Quiet firing and quiet quitting are not two sides of the same coin
Quiet firing could be considered the inverse of quiet quitting, or occurring as a result of it. When an employee is quietly quitting, they are essentially pulling back on their engagement at work. When a company or manager is quietly firing an employee, they are engaging with a team member as infrequently as possible and only when absolutely necessary. But it would be naive of a business to accept this rationale because in fact, quiet firing is more a sign of poor people management and an overall lack of organizational strategy towards people development within a business.
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Forcing people out by ostracizing them, removing authority to execute roles fully, not clarifying expectations, passive-aggressive behavior, and mid-role changes to job responsibilities are not the way to deal with performance or personalities at work. At best, this is bad practice but at worst, in today's litigious society, it could land your company in an employment court. The resulting public relations fallout and damage to a company's reputation would just add insult to injury.
Consider too that there may be other reasons a manager or employer may be acting in this unprofessional manner – none of which have anything to do with low performance – and you have a real culture challenge on your hands. Treating a worker badly to try to get them to quit because it saves on severance or because a manager simply hasn't clicked with them says more about the company or manager than it does about the individual in question.
Quiet firing: The signs
It's important to note that no one sign should be viewed as definitive that an employee is being quietly fired. There are in fact many levels, and typically they will not happen in isolation. For example, if an employee is not being considered for promotions or raises, and does not receive feedback as to why that is – despite high productivity and a strong work ethic – this is a clear sign that something is not right with management. If tasks begin to feel consistently beneath an individual's skill set or out of sync with the job description, and if managers are not making themselves available for discussion by canceling meetings for example, then it's fairly evident that this manager may have an iniquitous agenda.
Other less refined approaches include openly criticizing the employee in question, talking over them or completely ignoring their attempts to contribute in meetings. Apart from the colossal levels of unprofessionalism on display, there is other fallout.
Effects of quiet firing on the wider workforce
Quiet firing can often demoralize employees, and can trigger more than just a simple resignation in them, with the company more at fault than the employee. Let's start with litigation. Employees who are subjected to this treatment and suffer either psychological damage such as depression, stress or anxiety have a very high rate of success in court under employment law. That could translate into thousands of dollars lost to the business in compensation payouts.
Quiet firing tactics could also lead to a culture of distrust and disengagement, not only with the individual, but also with the broader team. This in itself could lead to a gradual but mass exodus of staff jumping a sinking ship. Not only that, bad reputation will affect a company's ability to hire good people in the future.
How can companies stop the rot?
Managers can avoid perpetuating quiet firing by holding consistent meetings with their direct reports to discuss upcoming initiatives, progress, and individual performance. These meetings will give employees an opportunity to know what's coming down the line and to ask questions regarding how they are performing against expectations. Varying project assignments for team members can also help reduce the potential for quiet firing.
The best results will always emerge from productive conversations between managers and employees, and managers must lead by example. Communication is critical to keeping employees engaged and making sure that both they and their managers have the opportunity to learn, grow, improve and share ideas within an organization.
If an employee is not performing at the desired level, it's the responsibility of the manager or team leader to mentor and coach that employee so they can grow and develop into the position.
Without strong and transparent communication, it can be nearly impossible for changes to take place. But it starts at the top because often the confidence levels of people on the receiving end of these toxic tactics have eroded to nothing.
Ideally, every employee should have clarity around exactly what is expected of them, how their performance is perceived by the business, and what their progression in the company might look like.
Businesses succeed when good work practices prevail
Current changes occurring in workplaces provide the perfect backdrop for employers to look at their current work practices and job design to ensure that productivity and employee satisfaction is being maintained throughout the organization, and that two-way communication channels are in place and being used properly because quiet firing ultimately highlights the need for businesses to promote a good work agenda.
When competent practices and good communication protocols form the baseline for people management by leadership, then both 'quiet quitting' or 'quiet firing' should not be a concern to either employers or employees.
Annie Rosencrans, Director of People & Culture at HiBob
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