Quiet quitting refers to unmotivated employees. Specifically, employees who have chosen to work at a rate that just comes out to the bare minimum of how they are required to perform. 

In the beginning, this doesn’t seem concerning. As long as they deliver their work on time, then they are meeting the expectations of their employers. The business world, however, is demanding. Standing out in competitive markets is due to providing unique customer experiences. Employees who are working the minimum required can’t create this. Instead, companies will produce inferior services because of the poor effort being made by the workforce. 

That is only the start of what quiet quitting can become. In the tech industry,  Xtalent held a survey of 400 sales leaders on the talent crisis. It found that 67% of sales personnel in tech and software companies were more likely to leave their roles. This shows quiet quitting as a sign of struggling to retain employees and could lead to an increase in quitting later on. 

Maintaining client relationships, understanding pain points, and more show employees who “go the extra mile”. Without this, productivity can slow down, service quality could decrease and, in the end, clients may look for business elsewhere. 

 Quiet quitting is not something that managers can ignore.  

Why Does Quiet Quitting occur? 

A long-standing explanation for quiet quitting is how employees look at their work. What can lead to this?  

1, Little Control: 

Gartner’s survey of 900 B2B sales reps notes how 56% of responders didn’t feel any individuality in their role. 

Creative control is important to how employees do their work. Not creating a personalized work style could lead to poor motivation. For example, in sales, where tools like scripts are common, employees may feel they can’t perform tasks that show what they are capable of. 

2, Remote Work Barriers: 

Remote working could show why quiet quitting appears in sales departments. The disconnect of remote work can take the passion from employees’ working relationships. It might encourage demotivated reps to work at rates that don’t reflect their abilities to the fullest. 

3, Career Development: 

A Randstad survey on employee retention showed 58% of responses said lack of career advancement as a major reason for not staying in the long term. 

Career growth is a big reason why your team might be underperforming. Without a clear future, employees may not care about the quality of work they produce. Eventually, this could grow from working the minimum amount to leaving the company.  

4, Excess Workload: 

Employees may quiet quit as a sign of anger towards workload. Depending on how they are expected to perform, quiet quitting is a way that employees fight against unfair levels of work. Worries like burnout are higher than ever, and could explain why employees are careful of how much they invest into their work. 

How to combat Quiet Quitting 

Quiet quitting shows how motivators like salary aren’t enough to satisfy what employees want from work. 

New strategies must be used to keep them excited and willing to work their best.  Strategies like: 

#1 Create a recognition board/body 

It’s the manager’s job to make sure employees are appreciated for their efforts. However, office dynamics and their own workload may make this hard to do all the time. 

Creating a board of employees that come together to determine how efforts are recognized is a good option. It shows a dedication to having employees have more say in how their actions are perceived at work.  

#2 Prioritize professional growth 

A good manager will understand the waste of top talent when their team is performing. They must give chances for the team to build their career. This can take many forms: 

I, Recommendations to management 

II, Responsibility over major sales account that corporate will take notice of 

III, Their input when constructing sales scripts 

Investing in the opportunities you can provide your team to advance their sales career will result in a more motivated workforce. 

#3 Fund job enablement 

Technology has made it easier than ever to work anywhere. However, feelings of isolation, laziness and confusion are bigger concerns in today’s work population. With remote work not leaving anytime soon, the only choice is to make it easier. 

CRMS like Vincere, HubSpot and more are great investments for making remote work easier. The disengagement made by working on digital platforms are less discouraging when there is technical support to manage the work. 

#4 Create platform to share insights 

There will always be some actions managers will not be able to take. From budget cuts to unexpected layoffs, managers can’t control everything. One of the above options listed may not be an option that management can make right now. 

What is always possible is listening to your team. Creating an environment where reps feel heard is an easily ignored option. Creating a platform, to voice what they want from their work life could help create a stronger sense of teamwork in the department. 

Quiet quitting is a sign. A sign for managers to understand that employees have changed. In order to be successful in avoiding this silent revolution and the employee turnover that follows, managers must adapt. Realign with the team’s needs, and you will soon see new ways to push your sales team to succeed.  

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