The Big Apple just took a BIG step.

As of November 1, 2022, almost all employers in New York City must now list a salary range on all job ads, promotions, and transfer opportunities. The law applies to any job that can be done completely or partially in the city — whether in an office, out in the field, or from home.

While this law applies specifically to workers in New York City, its impact is already rippling out, with employers beginning to list pay ranges for jobs nationwide. Suppose a company has any plans to allow work to be done remotely. In that case, it makes sense for them to publicize pay ranges on all jobs because the NYC law also applies to non-NYC organizations that want to post job ads for work that could be done remotely from anywhere in the United States, as long as that includes New York City. Citigroup and Macy’s have already started doing so, and a growing list of companies like Google, IBM, American Express, and more have shared that they plan to do the same. As of mid-November, 60% of job listings in NYC have posted salary ranges, according to Glassdoor. By January, many more businesses will comply because those that do not will be reported to city agencies with 30 days to fix their job postings. Otherwise, they can be fined up to $250,000 per violation. New York isn’t the first place to roll out such a regulation. Colorado has helped lead the pay transparency charge. They have had a similar law to the one recently passed in NYC since January 2021, which requires companies to post a salary band for any job that could be done from Colorado, which includes folks working remotely from the state for a business based elsewhere in the country. Some companies have tried to skirt compliance with this law by barring Colorado residents from applying. But economic experts concur that this is far less likely for the New York City talent pool, which has some 4 million private sector workers. Colorado, in comparison, has a labor force of about 3.2 million in the entire state.

Pay transparency may soon become the norm, not the exception, in the United States.

Pay transparency laws are sweeping the nation and are likely to keep gaining ground. Starting January 2023, states including California, Washington, and Rhode Island will similarly require companies to list salary ranges in job postings. While some workers fret that laws in these states won’t apply to them, it is clear that these actions will put pressure on other states. Forward-thinking businesses are starting to work on this before it officially becomes a legal requirement.

New York City’s pay transparency law may help workers from Oregon to Texas to Delaware and beyond better prepare for salary negotiations because they can get a benchmark for their actual market rate. In the age of working from home and digital nomadism, some companies are doing away with location-based pay, which means that their NYC salary range may become what they offer everywhere. But at the very least, seeing what an NYC company is paying for a particular role can be a jumping off point to figuring out what you should earn in your market. Employers are quickly adjusting to this new norm, raising wages to attract top talent in this competitive market.

Pay transparency is an essential tool for closing gender, racial, and other minorities pay gaps

Historically underpaid groups, like women and people of color, stand to benefit the most from these new laws. Proponents of pay transparency legislation say that it helps remedy pay gaps in individual companies by highlighting how dramatic the pay disparities might be. The picture is still quite stark. Women who work full-time in the USA still only earn $0.83 to every dollar a man makes — a figure that nosedives when you look at the pay disparity for Black and Latina women, who earn considerably less than white women due to the compounded impact of racism and sexism. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black women are paid $0.58 for every dollar a white man makes. CNBC reported that “in 2021, Latinas working full time were paid approximately $0.57 for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, the National Women’s Law Center reports — when part-time workers are included in the comparison, Latinas only made 54 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.”

Over the last several decades, mounting evidence points to pay transparency being an essential tool in closing gender and racial pay gaps. Posting salary ranges can help create more equity around pay. However, it may not be able to prevent women and minorities from being offered salaries at the bottom-of-the-range—while other candidates, like white men, negotiate top-of-the-range salaries.

The wide-ranging impact of pay opacity

The sad truth is that historically, companies have been able to offer certain groups of employees, like women — and especially women of color — lower salaries than are typically offered to white men. Research indicates that women and people of color tend to ask for less money, which published salary ranges can now help remedy.

In many countries, including the United States, pay opacity has been a core tenet of the job market and has traditionally benefited employers rather than employees. It’s enabled organizations to keep compensation rates flat even in the face of mounting inflation. Or when market rates for talent have risen, workers have not had reliable reference points to assess whether they are being paid fairly.

A culture of salary secrecy has benefited companies that have been able to keep wages lower, but things are changing. The last few years have significantly shifted the dynamics of the job market. Low unemployment and labor shortages across many industries have likely contributed to this push for greater transparency. Workers feel more empowered to speak up, while businesses have had to work harder to attract top talent.

Pay transparency laws help make hiring and applying for jobs more efficient

Pay transparency also helps eliminate information asymmetries, where a prospective employee’s expectations for pay differ vastly from an employer’s, helping make hiring more efficient for job hunters and employers alike. If salary expectations are too far apart, it’s now easy to disengage from opportunities that are not in alignment.

In the short-term, increased pay transparency may lead to higher turnover as workers see that their skills are worth more than what they’re currently paid, emboldening those who discover they are underpaid to head towards greener pastures. But in the long run, a less-opaque job market will lead to greater stability because retention rates will rise, benefitting workers and companies alike. Soon, almost 25% of Americans will live in a state with some pay transparency legislation. If companies are not providing salary band information to potential and current employees who will come to expect this data, they will wonder what these organizations are trying to hide. These laws may have started a transparency revolution in the employment market.

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

The past month has been a tech blood bath, with numerous big-name companies embarking on sweeping layoffs.

In just the past few weeks, Meta culled 11,000 workers, and now there are rumors that Amazon will let go of 10,000 employees—and of course, the company at the forefront of these mass tech layoffs, Twitter, who quite infamously, slashed half its workforce. It is disheartening to see so many highly skilled people losing their jobs, but even more so to learn how many discovered they were no longer employed.

Before looking at the crude methods used by some of these companies to thin their ranks, here’s a simple reminder that behind these numbers and percentages are human beings who made sacrifices to grow these companies, launch new products, craft strategic plans to boost revenue, and forged boldly into the digital sphere, crafting various devices and products that so many of us use daily. These people built their lives around work they believed in, working late, coming in early, missing kids’ soccer games, and more to help these businesses grow and succeed.

In the case of Twitter, there was little to no communication with employees following Musk’s takeover. Staff received a memo on a Thursday morning confirming that some layoffs would commence the following day. Affected workers would receive an email to their personal email by 9 a.m. the next day. But just hours after the initial email was sent, warning of coming layoffs, some Twitter staff began losing access to their work platforms like email and Slack. Notably, Musk’s name was absent from the memo and subsequent layoff notices, which were simply signed “Twitter.” About half of the company, 3,700 full-time employees, were ultimately let go, many who, after years of service, had no thoughtful conversation withHR or even an email, but rather a harsh pulling of the plug.

Now, independent contractors appear to be next on the Twitter hit list. And the company seems to have doubled down on letting people go without letting them know. Contractors are not being notified at all—they are just losing access to Slack and email. Their managers figured out their consultants were terminated when they just vanished from the system—poof. They heard zilch from leadership. Some contractors have shared that they are worried about whether they will receive their final paycheck since many ended up on teams with no full-time employees after the first round of Twitter layoffs.

The response from former Twitter employees has been robust—but it seems that new management is not listening. Melissa Ingle, a content moderation contractor for Twitter, shared the following:

Chaos has reigned supreme at Twitter following Musk’s acquisition of the business. Some laid-off staff has now been asked to return after the company realized they were essential to operations. Other staff members have filed a lawsuit, on the grounds that they were not given enough advance notice before being let go. A current Twitter employee has described the current environment as “ruthless,” as shared with Business Insider’s Jyoti Mann.

Just this week, Musk gave Twitter’s remaining employees an ultimatum—they had 36 hours to commit to ‘hardcore’ Twitter or take three months of severance. Employees were asked to click an icon to respond if they wanted to stay and commit to building “a breakthrough Twitter 2.0.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, record number of resignations have rolled in, so many, that Twitter closed their office building and disabled employee badge access. All this has just added turmoil to an already roiled time, illustrating a current and ongoing example of what not to do when laying off staff, which begs the question: what are good ways to manage layoffs?

+ Give information

Give employees information about the business problems underlying the need for layoffs. Give more detail than you think necessary; this will increase trust with the remaining employees, who will get word of what happened. Fear spreads—information helps quell it. You may not always be able to avoid layoffs, but you can manage the process respectfully.

+ Be certain your layoffs do not discriminate

Ensure there is no discrimination against protected classes of employees and that the layoff criteria are practiced equivalently across all company sectors. Some companies use last hired/first-to-go when determining who to lay off. While this avoids possible allegations of discrimination, experts do not recommend handling layoffs in this fashion as you are likely cutting out all your experienced recent talent or your young, diverse hires. A better bet is to ask managers to make a business case for each person they want to retain.

+ Do the best you can afford for soon-to-be former employees

When layoffs are necessary, do the best you can afford for the employees you are laying off. Offer a healthy severance package, extend benefits to help bridge the divide until they find their next opportunity, offer career placement services, and other economic assistance to help make the layoffs as manageable as possible for employees.

The Bottom Line

When layoffs must happen, remember that humans are on the receiving end of job terminations. Do not do a mass meeting, video or telephone conference call, or send an email to let people go—they deserve better than that, and it will reflect poorly on your company.

Bungling layoffs are essentially a negative branding campaign because how you sunset employees will be discussed far and wide in your industry—especially if you are a big-name company like Twitter.

You can manage letting people go in a way that those who remain are encouraged by your effective, compassionate handling of the situation. Layoffs are never easy and always create uncertainty and fear in the workplace—but there is a way to manage them so that you win in the court of public opinion.

 

About the author. 

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable. 

We are still in the sizzle of a hot job market, which makes it harder to attract and (retain) the best freelance talent. To help you better understand how to succeed in this market, Creative Circle surveyed over 400 people to learn what they search for when applying to roles and how they see themselves in the more global work landscape.

Contract work can be a double-edged sword—higher pay, flexible schedules, and more diverse opportunities often come at the cost of benefits like healthcare and paid time off. A tight labor market has some independent workers re-evaluating what they want from the companies they work with—here are some exclusive insights to help you stay ahead of the pack.

Perception and Semantics

Contractor, freelancer, contingent worker, talent, candidate, or consultant—synonyms? Maybe not. When referring to non-full-time workers, we often use these terms interchangeably. However, some of the responses from our survey question, where we asked the workers to self-identify were unexpected. For many, the definitions are conditional on the type of work, length of the assignment, and if they are working through an agency or not.

 

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“Contractor if working with a staffing company, freelancer if on my own.”

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“If through an agency: contractor. If freelancing on my own: freelancer.”

—

“It depends on what the role is. Sometimes contractor, other times freelancer.”

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“Both freelance and contract. Depends on length of the assignment.”

—

“The culture of the company that brings in the contractor determines the difference: some companies provide the same treatment to contractors as full-time employees, and some do not.”

 

Send Me All the Things

One of our survey questions asked: When working with a staffing company, what types of jobs do you want sent to you? Nearly 70% of those surveyed answered: Send me everything close to my role via email, even if it’s not a perfect fit as compared to the 16.7% who responded: Send only roles that match my experiences and preferences.

Given that one of the perks of working with a staffing company is to have opportunities sifted through and matched with candidate preferences, we were struck by the response to this question. Does this speak to the independent and multi-talented spirit of freelancers—a grasp for autonomy of choice in an uncontrollable world? Perhaps. With the job market still hot, what we have gleaned is that individuals want roles that offer growth and new experiences.

 

Do Benefits Outweigh Benefits?

One of the big draws of freelance work is that it is typically remunerated at a higher rate—a huge benefit. But perhaps, unsurprisingly, contract employees still often desire more generous benefits like health insurance when seeking freelance opportunities. There is a push/pull between the increased financial benefit of freelance versus the stability of full-time job that may pay less but comes with more benefits like healthcare and paid time off.

Many workers view the lack of benefit offerings as standard industry practice. Their perception seems to be conditional on the type of contingent worker they may be. For example, are they freelancing independently or working with a staffing agency?

The way temporary employees see themselves may influence their expectations when seeking roles. When asked to rank listed benefits in order of priority, 54% selected healthcare as their top priority. When asked, “Do staffing companies’ benefits packages influence your decision to work with an agency or not?” 48% responded “yes.”

Further investigation showed that when explicitly working for a staffing agency (i.e., Creative Circle), many participants consider healthcare benefits a mandatory offering. However, many responses also indicated that while insurance and other benefit offerings would be agreeable, they did not consider this a mandatory practice.

 

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“It depends. If the assignment is going to be long-term and the client isn’t looking to hire me, then the benefits package will be a mandatory consideration. If I am working with Creative Circle to help me get hired by a client, then this is less of a consideration.”

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“No. I’m a freelancer, which implies open-ended. If the rate is right, I’m not thinking about benefits. I’ll work the back end.”

—

“Health insurance is a must, especially when working freelance without a company like Creative Circle, it’s much harder to get reliable insurance that covers a lot.”

 

“Nothing is mandatory. Health benefits are nice….”

 

Maybe there’s a Magic Bullet?

Our survey findings show that freelance workers have different needs and desires that hinge on where they are looking for work. Many candidates consider benefits offerings when working with a staffing agency but are less likely to do so when pursuing independent freelance assignments. But perhaps there is a middle ground—Health Savings Accounts or HSAs.

 

These health accounts can be a great option for freelance workers and do not cost employers anything (though it may make the opportunity more attractive if they contributed). HSAs are mobile, so can travel from gig to gig, and can provide a measure of benefit, in a space where they are often not expected.

 

As the freelance world begins to look more and more like a traditional 9-to-5, companies are struggling to remain competitive when seeking top talent. With the addition of some stop-gap benefit measures, at little or no cost, agencies can diversify themselves, reaping a better (and happier) crop of candidates / contractors / consultants.

 

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

Employers may be the ones asking the questions but job candidates are taking away more from the interview than you think.  From 3-hour interviews to inappropriate interviews, these candidates share out their most memorably bad interview experiences.

1.

Time is money.

 

2.

 

3.

I personally think chameleons are really cool.

 

4.

 

The most inappropriate question award goes to…

 

5.

 

6.

I think we have a different definition of “quick” than that company

 

7.

 

8.

Red flags… that’s our cue to gracefully exit.

 

Tell us about your worst interview experiences, join in on the conversation here.

Recently, I booked an appointment with AAA to get a Real ID driver’s license. The day before I was set to go, I received a call from the branch manager with regrets for canceling my slot. Why? They did not have enough staff.

It’s “An Unprecedented Labor Shortage.” Heritage.com explains: “The big story is a 9.2% drop in employment among workers ages 65 and older and a 3.0% decline among workers ages 20 to 24.” Let’s focus on the latter, which is a subset of “Generation Z.” Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Zers are tech avid and savvy. They represent a supersize block—2.47 billion, or 32%, of the world’s 7.7 billion people and about one in five in the U.S. They are much-needed additions to the workforce. But attracting them to join the payroll and retaining them is not a slam dunk. Here’s why.

 

Gen Z in the Workplace—

Who, What and How to Attract and Retain?

Organizations seek Gen Zers for their unparalleled digital skills and fresh outlooks. However, the members of this group are unlike the previous cohort, Millennials, and others. Gen Zers tend to be: “more communicative, more competitive” as well as “more independent” and “more entrepreneurial.” These are only some of the distinguishing features. That said, it is “important for business leaders to understand the work, and benefits that they must offer to best recruit and keep them.”

“Who is Gen Z and How Will They Impact the Workplace?” reports that Gen Zers “are driven by different needs than the generations that came before them.” These include:

 

• Work/life stability

They’ve witnessed the burnout that can occur when work overtakes all else; perhaps as children they even had to bear the brunt of it. Now that it’s their time to enter the labor force they don’t want any part of this adverse effect. Instead, they desire a more even-handed experience. Note: almost 40% of the members of Gen Z deem “work/life balance as a priority” when considering an employer.

Tip: Stay fluid

Keep flexibility top of mind when setting work policies, such as hybrid and remote arrangements. But don’t stop there. “How employers are wooing Gen Z” cites examples. “Sage Hospitality… is piloting a four-day workweek for positions including cooks and housekeepers. And healthcare firm GoodRx is letting employees work from anywhere in the U.S., hiring an outside company to provide offices.” Indeed weighs in by advocating employers offer parental leave, “generous vacation time” and “generous healthcare coverage over perks like free food or happy hours.”

 

• ‘Phigital’ perspective

Whereas those who have retired from the workforce or may in the next decade are “Baby Boomers,” young arrivals are known as “Zoomers,” hence the “Z” for “Gen Z.” And zoom they do, referring to the speed at which they adapt to and glom onto technology. Digital natives, they view their devices as “extensions of themselves.” They use them to commurenicate with others on the job, organize their work and more.

Tip: Tech up

Stay on the cusp of the latest organizational platforms and digital tools. Ask Gen Zers what tools they need to succeed and factor in their feedback in IT planning. Connecteam suggests providing a state-of-the-art arsenal, e.g., Google Suite, Slack and Salesforce. Another suggestion: provide microlearning platforms to help Gen Zers develop on their own the skills to succeed. More: “On the recruiting end of things, companies that have a presence on a platform that embraces video—such as YouTube or Instagram—are more likely to catch the eye of Gen Z hunters.”

 

• 24/7 connections/interconnections

Bred on high-speed internet, Gen Zers interact with peers and others online (and offline) all the time. Social media is their oxygen. So too is immediacy and intimacy in their discussions; they opt for Facetime over texting and calling. This carries over to the job. “Gen Z prefers steady communication with their professional teams and thrives in an environment of transparency.” Factoids: “90% of Gen-Z workers desire and value a human connection in their professional environments, 60% of Gen Z employees expressed the desire to have clarity on the expectations and parameters of their jobs.”

Tip: Combine high tech, high touch

Loop in Gen Zers and stay with them. “Chats via Slack, quick check-ins over email, and even a simple emoji counts as the kind of communication Gen Z feels they need. Recognize contributions. “Gen Z wants to feel appreciated (and for that matter, all workers do). Make it clear that you care by asking for input regularly and creating a two-way dialogue.” Update the members of this group; keep them apprised. Gen Zers appreciate receiving immediate feedback so they can be their best.

 

• Breaking demographic boundaries

Gen Zers have awareness and interest in far-ranging social issues; that pertains to their interactions online as well as offline. Re the latter, Pew Research reports that almost half of all Gen Z individuals are considered “racial or ethnic minorities.’” This mix extends beyond race to the gender and sexuality spaces. “One in 6 Gen Z have reported they are either transgender or queer.”

Tip: Vive la difference!

Go beyond lip service and writing to demonstrate that diversity rules. Show examples of company culture, initiatives, headcount/inclusion and funding along these lines “Many in Gen Z pay close attention to a company’s diversity efforts when making a decision of whether or not to pursue employment with a particular business—and it makes a big difference in the long run, as studies have shown that many employees who work at diverse organizations stay there beyond five years.” More: Make applications and forms inclusive with more gender-neutral options. Promote efforts to ensure job candidates understand the organization is “a diverse, supportive and inclusive workplace by getting Great Place to Work-Certified.”

 

• Achievement oriented

“Common Gen Z traits include a competitive spirit and an eagerness to prove themselves.” Indeed suggests these emanate from wishing to stay at the front of the pack. It’s the Fear Of Missing Out—FOMO—principle in action. “Gen Zers don’t want to be left behind by their peers. With their successes always on display through social media, FOMO looms large for this generation.” Gen Zers, similar to their next oldest group, seek “upward mobility in their careers.”

Tip: Offer opportunities and education galore

Change, challenge and upward momentum may not only capture Gen Zers but also cement their interest and allegiance. Indeed suggests reflecting Gen Zers’ competitive nature in marketing and outreach and showcasing accomplishments and awards as well as growth and advancement opportunities to make your company stand out.” The word from LinkedIn’s Talent Blog is to “lean in on learning and growth.” That includes supporting an #AlwaysBeLearning culture and developing “mentorship opportunities and job rotation programs.”

 

• Side gigs entrepreneurial instincts

Again similar to Millennials, Gen Zers are masters of the side hustle. As such, many fit the “slashie” style of work—multiple roles and sources of income. Resourceful and striving, many want to work for themselves. Indeed provides proof points: “58% of Gen Zers said they would like to own a business one day and 14% already do.”

Tip: Be open and receptive

Gen Z has led the way to the “side hustle era” that is in full force today. That’s reality, so adjust and embrace it. Ask potential employees about outside work-related activities and keep a pulse on the same for those already working for the organization. Understand and address change this wording so we’re not framing it as problematic within a framework of success. Coach these desires and support how they mesh with their full-time job. Above all, be open, honest and interested.

 

Keep in mind: Gen Zers play vital roles in the workforce. Get familiar with the new rules of the road. Knowing and acclimating to who Gen Zers are helps create the best environment to bring them onboard and optimize their commitment.

 

 

About the author.
You name it, she covers it. That’s the can-do attitude Sherry M. Adler brings to the craft of writing. A polished marketing and communications professional, she has a passion for learning and the world at large. She uses it plus the power of words to inform and energize stakeholders of all kinds. And to show how all of this can make a difference, she calls her business WriteResults NY, LLC.

Jimmy McGill, the intriguing main character on Better Call Saul is a master of quiet quitting. Example: while working as a lawyer at a conservative practice, he scaled back his participation from active to low. That recalibration aligns with quiet quitting. However, unlike quiet quitters, who wish to remain employed while investing less in their job, Jimmy plotted his way out of the firm quietly and not so quietly. He traded his grey office attire for glaringly bright suits, shirts and ties. He played the bagpipes in his office. It worked. The managing partner booted him and let him keep his cushy signing bonus.

Granted, this is television theatrics at its best. But the concept of quiet quitting in a remain-on-the-job and less over-the-top manner is real. The timeframe is now. It’s becoming so widespread that a post in the Boston Globe declares: “As quiet quitting goes viral, it’s turning into the pumpkin spice of 2022.”

 

What Exactly Is It?

Although it’s not a new term, quiet quitting took hold on a grand scale in the second half of this year. The Wall Street Journal precipitated initial awareness. Its coverage set off a chain reaction in news outlets everywhere. Social media jumped in. TikTok prevails on this front. ABC Eyewitness News acknowledges this by saying about quiet quitting: “The TikTok trend gets people talking about work ethic and setting boundaries.”

Quiet quitting runs counter to the traditional go-get-‘em capitalist spirit. It’s “a psychological shutting down” that manifests itself in a lessening of rigor. In essence, it’s putting forth the minimally accepted effort, just getting by, “not actively going above and beyond.” Some consider it “career coasting.” This model taken root and continues to build momentum. For this reason, The Wall Street Journal suggests quiet quitting is “changing the workplace.”

Really? That distinct possibility springs from how pervasive it is. A Gallup poll finds that those in the quiet quitting category comprise half of the U.S. workforce and most likely more. That equates to millions of people who are executing their responsibilities at the base level. Many are on automatic pilot and do not engage emotionally with their job.

This massive quiet quitting wave has implications for companies far and wide. Through time, organizations have depended on a hierarchy of employee effort with many performing at a high level. Beware: quiet quitting may translate into lower than projected productivity and an overall economic slowdown.

 

Why Is It Occurring?

Several factors may have triggered quiet quitting.

One is the pandemic. It not only disrupted life but also caused people to pause and reevaluate what matters to them. “The concept of quiet quitting is resonating because [the pandemic] has been a time of reflection as people reassess their priorities and consider the fragile nature of humanity”. Covid-19 changed their outlook and placed greater importance on taking care of themselves and their loved ones. They are stepping back from work as the be all and end all and off the ambition treadmill to a more tempered existence.

The pandemic generated undue stress and exhaustion. It also led to worker disengagement, which sowed the seeds for the Great Resignation. Employees quit in droves. That, in turn, led to a stream of job openings, lopsided employee supply and demand and worker shortages. It shifted the base of power from employers to employees and potential employees. The latter moved into a strong position to rethink and alter their style of life and work.

That last comment dovetails with a description of Gen Z which, as a group, contributed to the rise of quiet quitting. Members of this youngest cohort differ from their older counterparts. They demand greater work/life balance and flexibility. That is, they want to draw a sharp line between work and life. Separating and balancing the two gives them time to pursue their interests which, for many, includes taking on several gigs.

How entrenched is Gen Z in the quiet quitting phenomenon? A post on Entrepreneur.com says: it all. “Gen Z Thinks ‘Quiet Quitting’ is the New Norm: 82% Say Doing the Bare Minimum At Work is ‘Pretty or Extremely Appealing.” Of note, some Millennials also march to this beat. The survey from which this information comes reports that those who responded considered “wellness, hobbies, family and friends” to be more important than work.

Fast Company weighs in on quiet quitting. It acknowledges that the pandemic largely stoked the trend. However, something occurred on top of that. It labels this secondary cause “a failure of traditional HR methods that don’t work anymore.” As a result, “employees feel trapped and unfulfilled in the roles they hold today.” They want to use their skills more adeptly and have greater opportunities for advancement.

 

What Can Employers Do to Quiet all this Quiet Quitting?

Don’t just mull this over. Address it. Organizations need to “change alongside their people.” If they don’t, “quiet quitting could lead to a downward spiral of reduced productivity and deteriorating company culture.”

Action items include:

• Put people first
Concentrate less on productivity as go-to metric. Instead, insert initiatives that enable employees to prosper. “Start by creating access to development and internal job opportunities,” which Fast Company labels as “a strategic investment in employee development.” Create an internal “talent marketplace.” The idea is “to harness their employees’ full potential.” This shift in priorities makes for a more satisfied, engaged and empowered workforce.

• Practice work/life balance
It’s one thing to tout flexibility and another to actively embrace it. “Make sure your employees know you support them in achieving a healthy work-life balance.” What are some of the ways to achieve this? Go full force. “Encourage [employees] to shut down their laptops and leave the office on time, take a proper lunch break, switch off from work at the weekends, ignore out-of-hours emails, and take their full entitlement of paid annual leave.”

• Build connections, meaning and team spirit
Offer internal gigs, mentorships and job sharing. Gigs provide workers “exposure to new leaders and coworkers in other departments and locations.” They also shore up and build new skills and may result in a new career pursuit within the organization. Mentorships benefit by employees and leaders, who learn from one another. Job sharing helps employees who feel stretched to the limit and puts them in close contact with others to work together.

• Lead by example
Forbes suggests ways for those in the top ranks to tackle quiet quitting at the front end by changing their own mindset and behavior. “Learn to treat people’s off-time with more respect.” Enable workers to make the most of their time off rather than send reams of messages on weekends and evenings. This sends a cue that “it’s okay to be away from the office and decompress with friends and family.”

• Validate
Acknowledge and appreciate what employees do and not in a quiet way. Express it. Do that all the time, not only on spot and special occasions. Let those who work for you know that you value what they do. But address it the right way. “Remember the point of gratitude isn’t about thanking people for their accomplishments, it’s about helping them see their worth as a colleague and a human being.”

In the meantime, quiet quitting “has become a loud trend.” For employees and employers alike, lack of engagement is troubling. Employees’ needs are changing and impacting their roles and the organizations for which they work. This upheaval demands attention. “Quiet quitting is a wake-up call to every people leader. It’s time to rethink our old ways of working and to create an environment in which our people can truly be at their best.”

 

 

About the author.
You name it, she covers it. That’s the can-do attitude Sherry M. Adler brings to the craft of writing. A polished marketing and communications professional, she has a passion for learning and the world at large. She uses it plus the power of words to inform and energize stakeholders of all kinds. And to show how all of this can make a difference, she calls her business WriteResults NY, LLC.