The Counterattack in the Workplace: Employers Are Quietly Firing Quiet Quitters

Whether you’re an employer or an employee, we’re sure you’ve heard about quiet quitting by now. To put it simply, quiet quitting is the practice of doing the bare minimum at work (in other words, doing just enough to get by).

The trend started gaining momentum after Gen Z introduced the idea on TikTok. Since then, many employees have started quiet quitting, i.e., not taking work as seriously.

This has resulted in a powerful counterattack by many employers: quiet firing. This is when management slowly starts pulling back a worker’s duties, hoping that they’ll quit. In some cases, they may also make the workplace unappealing for the “quitting” employee, hoping to prompt an exit.

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at quiet firing.

Is Quiet Firing Justified?

In short, quiet quitting is an indirect way of keeping your job while doing the bare minimum. When employees do just enough to get by, they stop being creative and productive. This is where their potential for growth stops.

Quiet firing is a natural response to quiet quitting, and it’s justified. Employers are looking for talented, motivated, and insightful professionals who can add value that will help their company grow.

When growth is stifled by employees deciding not to contribute to their full potential, employers can justifiably quietly fire them. We would rather, however, that companies just fire them and fill the roles with perfect-fit professionals who will add the value they promise during the interview process. The right team members bring something special to the table and help a company innovate, grow, and succeed.

Am I Wrong for Wanting a Motivated Workforce?

Of course not. However, employers must note that you should treat the situation with the utmost fairness. As a manager, you cannot start dialing up the stress and making the work environment inhospitable for an employee.

Start with communication. If you’ve noticed that an employee has stopped putting in their best effort, schedule a meeting with them. Discuss your concerns and try to uncover whether there are extenuating circumstances that are contributing to their lack of attentiveness to their job.

Perhaps they have family issues at home. They may be unsatisfied with their salary. Or maybe they feel that the workload is excessive. These problems can be rectified. However, if you notice signs of nonchalance and apathy, you may have to take action. If an employee simply doesn’t care for no reason, it’s time to provide them the opportunity to succeed elsewhere.

Turn Things Around

Are you looking for talented individuals for your company? As you replace quiet quitters with motivated, creative, and conscientious employees, your team will start picking up momentum.

Brookwoods Group is one of the Top executive search firms in Houston. Whether you’re looking for executives, managers, supervisors, or entry-level employees, we’ll find the perfect-fit professionals for your company. Contact our Executive search consultants to get started.

We’re always looking for professionals who are ready to make their next move. Visit our executive search firm website to see our open positions and whether any interest you. Whether or not you see an opening, fill out our short application and we’ll contact you if there’s a fit either now or in the future.