Quiet quitting becomes opportunity for engagement, report finds

A new Global Workforce Report from Gallup has been unveiled. The report is crucial in determining where the causes of employee productivity and engagement lie. Last year, job opportunities and employee engagement surged, falling back in line with pre-pandemic trends. Yet at the same time, global worker stress remained at record levels.

About 23% of the world’s employees were engaged at work in 2022, the highest level since Gallup began measuring engagement in 2009. Increased engagement is good news for employees, who are thriving at work. But there is still a long way to go in terms of engagement and productivity — many workers are “quiet quitting” (not engaged) or “loud quitting” (actively disengaged).

• Quiet quitting: These employees fill a seat and watch the clock. They put in the minimum effort required, and they are psychologically disconnected from their employer. Although they are minimally productive, they are more likely to be stressed and burnt out than engaged workers because they feel disconnected from their workplace.
• Loud quitting: These employees take actions that directly harm the organization, undercutting its goals and opposing its leaders. At some point along the way, the trust between employee and employer was severely broken.

For leaders and managers, loud quitting can signal major risks within an organization that are crucial not to ignore. Conversely, quiet quitters are often the greatest opportunity for growth and change. A few changes to how they are managed could turn them into productive team members.

Low-engagement workers represent a huge opportunity for economic growth. Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion and accounts for 9% of global GDP. Leadership and management directly influence workplace engagement, and there is much that organizations can do to help their employees thrive at work.

Key takeaways for leaders:

1) In today’s typical organization, most employees are neither engaged nor actively disengaged. By not engaging these employees, leaders are missing a primary driver of customer retention and organic business growth.

2) Quiet quitting employees are your organization’s low-hanging fruit for productivity gains. They are ready to be inspired and motivated — if they are coached in the right way.

3) The manager is the catalyst for engagement. Seventy percent of team engagement is attributable to the manager. They are waiting for the tools to build great teams.

Related: Quiet quitting may not be that ‘quiet’

As organizational leaders navigate an uncertain economic future, their employees’ stress is impacting productivity and performance. Addressing these wellbeing concerns and improving overall engagement should be top priorities for the world’s political and business leaders, who seek to make the most of the recovery.