How Leaders Can Re-Engage Quiet Quitters

Quiet quitting, the term describing employees who put in minimum effort and feel disconnected from their work, costs the global economy £9 trillion in 2023. According to Gallup, this behaviour is so prevalent it can be attributed to 59% of the global workforce.

For leaders, this issue is critical, as it undermines the engagement and productivity that is essential for financial stability in an increasingly unstable business environment. CHROs and other HR leaders within our network share that they are actively working to address this challenge, driven by pressure and mandates from their boards.

Here's how many of them are successfully transforming quiet quitters into engaged employees.

Diagnose the problem

Quiet quitting is a symptom of deeper issues within an organisation that need to be diagnosed to understand why employees are disengaged. This can be achieved through surveys, leadership analysis, one-on-one conversations, and employee or team assessments like Prism and DISC. 

This initiative allows leaders to gain a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to disengagement while also showing employees that their concerns are valued. When combined with other strategies, this approach enables leaders to uncover the underlying causes of quiet quitting and develop targeted solutions to re-engage and motivate their workforce.

Invest employees in the mission

To reconnect employees with their organisation, leaders should reiterate and emphasise its mission and values. This helps employees understand how their individual roles contribute to the bigger picture, investing them emotionally in their work. 

Leaders should combine this with building authentic team relationships, ensuring that employees feel valued and integral to the organisation’s success. By fostering a sense of purpose through clear communication, leaders can enhance employee engagement and commitment to the company’s strategic objectives.

Create a positive work environment

The modern work environment has shifted significantly, with employees now placing greater emphasis on their well-being. Successful leaders understand this change and create workplace environments that prioritise employee satisfaction and morale. Leaders who fail to acknowledge this shift risk increasing the number of quiet quitters.

To create a positive work environment, leaders should implement policies that enhance employee well-being and satisfaction, promote work-life balance, recognise and reward employee achievements, and create opportunities for social connection and community building.

Providing flexibility in work arrangements, offering mental health support, and encouraging a culture of appreciation and respect will also significantly improve how employees feel about their work.

Signal career pathways through development

Providing professional and leadership development opportunities is crucial for re-engaging employees and bridging the growing skill gap between senior leadership and middle management. 

Understanding personal values and career aspirations is vital, as it helps align them with the organisation’s goals. This alignment can be facilitated through leadership team assessments, which help identify how personal and organisational objectives can be harmonised.

Achieving this within a leadership team filters to the rest of organisation, encouraging a more engaged, goal-oriented and happier workforce.

Develop ‘Future Fit’ leaders

Sustaining long-term employee engagement requires organisations to cultivate leaders who possess core traits that unite and inspire employees while effectively navigating disruptions. Our research on global leadership cohorts reveal these ‘Future Fit’ leaders focus on organisational purpose, are people-centric, make swift decisions, build diverse networks, and uphold strong principles.

These leaders connect with employees through authenticity, empathy, and adaptability, in alignment with both personal and organisational goals. They create an environment of psychological safety and encourage continuous personal and professional growth.

By integrating these qualities into succession plans, organisations can build a pipeline of leaders who know how to create purpose, drive engagement and eliminate quiet quitting.

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