Quiet quitting is just a buzzword: 5 tips to support Gen Z workers

The term “Quiet Quitting” has been trending for months, but with more than 100,000 tech workers laid off just in 2023, it's taking on a new urgency. Those who are still employed are left picking up their former co-workers' responsibilities, and they're embracing Gen Z's favorite buzzword in response. 

While employers should be paying attention, it’s important to cut through the noise and focus on solutions. What does quiet quitting really mean? And how your organization can better support and engage Gen Z workers?

What is quiet quitting?

There are a few different definitions of quiet quitting making the rounds. Some people consider quiet quitting as a way that Gen Z workers set boundaries with their employers and push back against burnout. Others consider quiet quitting as “phoning it in” and putting minimum effort into jobs where they feel disengaged or undervalued.

While the definition is still evolving, the effects on companies are clear. With 1 in 4 workers quiet quitting, this can lead to a drop in employee engagement, reduced productivity, and lower company resilience in the face of inflation. With a 2.5% decline in productivity among US workers being called the steepest annual drop since 1948, quiet quitting is even raising red flags at large organizations like Google.

Tips for employers

Now that you know what quiet quitting means, you need to know how to stop it affecting your business.

Prioritize mental health

Mental health is a huge issue among Gen Z workers, with 46% saying they feel burned out. One of the best ways to remedy this is to normalize talking about mental health and develop safe spaces where Gen Z employees can access support. Invest in professional mental health programs like online therapy or employee support groups, and push managers to remove the stigma around asking for help.

Ensuring your Gen-Z workers know how to balance work and their personal life is also key in slowing down the impact of quiet quitting. Do this by creating awareness campaigns and offering training that shows young workers how and why they should take regular breaks and avoid letting work eat into their personal time. Training around time management, effective communication, and home office setups can also go a long way in reducing work-related stress.

Take DEI seriously

Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet, and they’re highly passionate about social issues like gender and racial equality. 79% of new graduates now consider diversity to be an important factor when looking for work. To lower the risk of quiet quitting, invest in diversity and inclusion programs at all levels of your organization.

This can be done through unconscious bias training, initiatives to combat the gender pay gap, creating leadership opportunities for underrepresented employees, and opening internal committees that can help build an inclusive workplace culture.

Focus on career mapping

With 29% of workers citing a lack of growth as a reason to want to quit their job, career mapping could be one of your most powerful tools against quiet quitting. This helps employees reach their career goals in your organization, rather than looking for opportunities elsewhere. 

We also know that there's a more than 22% increase in retention when candidates go through career coaching that drives personalized engagement. That's why at Adecco, we partnered with EZRA (an Adecco Group Brand) to bring personalized virtual coaching to our associates and clients. It allows clients to set goals for their teams and offer something unique to their workforce.

Encourage career development with:

Personalized career maps. Help employees identify other positions within the organization that interest them and that they aspire to. Workers can then better understand what steps they need to take to be eligible for the role, and what approach to professional development they should take.

Skills and knowledge evaluations. Leaders can work with their teams to discuss what skills, knowledge, and areas of improvement they have. These can be used to identify upskilling programs and further develop areas of interest.

Implement job rotations

Job rotations are commonly used by employers to vary their workers’ tasks and responsibilities throughout the company, and it could be a great way to reduce quiet quitting. Job rotation keeps employees engaged, helps them develop a wider skill set, and makes your workforce more flexible and resilient. It’s also a great way to keep employees engaged, especially in warehouse or production environments that involve repetitive tasks. Research even shows that job rotations can relieve stress for employees in manual labor jobs.

Build employee relationships with mentoring

Your Gen Z employees have probably been working remotely for much of their time at your organization. This could lead to a disconnect between employees, resulting in an uptick in quiet quitting. To deal with this, consider developing mentorship programs. 

Not only is this a great way to build relationships between new and existing workers but it's also a powerful way to anchor employees to your organization through emotional connections and show them that you're taking an active interest in their professional development. Mentorship is also one of the most effective approaches for passing knowledge down to entry-level employees which in turn creates a much more resilient and adaptable workforce.

It might feel easy to brush off the demands of younger workers, but they’re proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Employers who don’t start making changes now might be left behind. At Adecco, we know how to help companies like yours to hire, retain, and develop Gen Z talent. We understand the huge potential they bring to the table, and we have the tools to help you make the most of your young employees.

Contact us today to find out how we can take your hiring and retention to the next level. For more expert insights on the latest workforce news, visit our Employer Resources page.