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.

Creative Circle wanted to understand what managers’ experiences were working with creatives—how to support them best, and what approaches foster the best environment for stellar creative work. We put out a survey to over 400 industry influencers to get their insights on how they navigate these unique working relationships.

Creative work is inherently different — brainstorming sessions, non-linear processes, a mélange of crafting and editing, and more that goes into creative development. So, how do you best navigate that in the workplace?

When asked, “Is your management style different when managing creatives versus non-creatives?” 59.22% of managers surveyed resoundingly (perhaps unsurprisingly) said “Yes.”

Here are some best practices for working successfully with creatives gleaned from this recent survey.

Be Open to their Process

You may not fully understand a creative’s process and everything happening behind the scenes — and that’s okay! Creative work does not necessarily follow a linear process — and the time it takes to translate an idea into something concrete is not always predictable. Most managers mentioned that when working with creatives, giving them the time and space they need to turn ideas into deliverables is essential. It is important to communicate deadlines clearly, but taking a more project-oriented rather than task-oriented approach to checking in can also be helpful.

“You have to display more patience and trust with creatives.”

“I do not believe in micro-managing. I trust my team, and with that trust comes creative freedom and an atmosphere that fosters imagination and being fearless with ideas and their work.”

“Creatives need more flexibility, less over-communication, and more standardized processes so they can create what they need or accomplish tasks without the fear of feeling over-managed or suffocated.”

“With creatives, I like to tell them the GOAL and a few ways I would accomplish that goal—but leave it up to them. I try to give more space for associative and lateral thinking, so instead of giving them solutions to implement, I give them problems to solve.”

“Creativity is not always available on-demand; part of the process involves time spent searching for inspiration—think doodling, taking a walk, daydreaming. While that may not look like traditional “productive” work, it is a crucial part of the process. If always in “doing” mode, creatives will not have time to generate those BIG concepts necessary for their work. Allowing the time and space for those juices to flow will support results that move the needle.”

“Creatives need time to do deep work and think—so whereas another type of role could sit down to get the work done and not need that deep thinking time, creatives may need time blocked on their calendars to think and research instead of doing. This helps inform the quality of the final product.”

“I tend to give them more autonomy. As a creative, I know how important it is to step away to get inspiration. That can be a walk in the park. A stroll to a coffee shop. Or just a quick nap.”

“Creatives need more space and affirmation, as well as clear goals and timelines. So, you manage them according to what motivates and drives results.”

Individualize Your Approach

Creative work can be deeply personal. Many creatives feel like they are pouring a piece of themselves into their ideas; if you can strive to ensure that there is alignment — with you, the team, and the brand — you will maximize a successful working relationship.

Ask what kind of support works best — what inspires them to generate new ideas? When interviewing and hiring, look for someone whose work and perspective resonate well with your brand, as well as their ideal work environment, how they best receive and process direction, and their preferred mode for feedback. And remember, just because someone is a great designer does not mean they are great for your project.

“I establish relationships with creatives while managing them. I think it’s important to have good, strong relationships first with creatives to understand their values and how they like to work in order to get the best work from them.”

“I feel it is more holistic in that there are layers and levels of communication, such as emotional intelligence, visual intelligence, intellectual intelligence — all combined.”

Emphasize Collaboration
Creatives don’t want to feel like they’re working FOR you; they want to feel like they’re working WITH you! Fostering a sense of collaboration can help creatives be more confident in developing and sharing more out-of-the-box ideas and allow for more productive feedback. Approaching each project as a shared mission—rather than an assigned task—can make the work feel more exciting and inspiring.

“When managing creatives, I take the time to build more personal relationships.”

“I tend to make sure there is lots of brainstorming and weekly meetings involved. There is no wrong or right way to be creative, and I think it is very important that the artist feels heard in the process.”

“I am probably more open to a creative’s consultation on a project (tone, aesthetic, demographic, project viability) and consider their input more deeply than with non-creatives, just by the nature of the work and because they were hired for their creativity, not to be held down to specific parameters.”

Value their Creative Insight
Creatives bring fresh and new ideas to the table, and it’s essential that managers acknowledge that. They’re generating unique concepts and content that would not exist without them.

When offering feedback, try emphasizing actionable changes rather than “no, this is wrong” or vague instructions like “make it pop more.” Suggesting a shift in direction and asking open-ended questions can keep the creative process moving rather than creating confusion.

“Creatives need actionable feedback. If you can’t articulate what is wrong or needs revision and a direction they should move in, you can wind up spinning on the same work. Because creatives put so much of themselves and their passion into their work, I’m also more sensitive in how I give feedback. I don’t want to diminish their work; just help it get in the place our clients will be happy with.”

“I always treat my creatives like they know as much as me or more. I never assume I am in a lead position because I know more. Being a manager isn’t about being the smartest or the best; it is about being able to bring people together to create one cohesive project.”

Finding the Right Fit
With all this in mind, how do you find the perfect creative member for your team? We asked managers about their most critical questions when interviewing, and they pointed to the following topics:

Timeline // At the end of the day, you want to have the work when needed. If your projects have strict deadlines, make those clear upfront and gauge if a potential hire feels up for that challenge. Ask if they have experience with tight timelines or juggling multiple deadlines.

Style // Look at their portfolio of previous work. Would it adapt well to your client or project? Does their style make sense for your project or brand? Ask about past projects they found exciting; it can help you gauge if they will be inspired by what you are asking them to create.

Process // Learning how a creative works can do wonders for getting your working relationship off to a great start. Do they prefer to work collaboratively or independently? Do they like consistent feedback throughout the process or want to bring forward fully formed concepts for review? Knowing how an individual thrives in this process can help you find someone that will mesh well into your workplace’s flow.

Grasping the creative workflow may prove elusive — but understanding how to communicate and manage people who do can help ensure stellar results that make you (and your clients) happy.

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 Big Quit is a BIG deal. We’ve written I, II, III articles about it! Employees continue to resign amidst a changing job market.  and are shameless in their reasoning! Employers are scrambling to figure out what’s the problem, while employees are openly sharing what went wrong.  And after reading some of ex-employees’ stories, we understand why quitting seemed like the best decision. We’ve compiled a list of their exit reviews below!

1.

Very true in lots of cases!

2.

50 dollars????

3.

4.

Low pay and poor management? Employers need to pick a struggle.

5.

6.

Poor management seems to be a theme here.

7.

8.

Tell us more about the weird surprises, Pamela.

9.

10.

Call them back, Travis. They probably still feel the same way!

Why’d you quit your job? Join the conversation here!

 

 

 

“Slashie.” Are you familiar with this word?

It made a cameo appearance in the movie Zoolander in 2001. The scene: Fabio, with glass statuette raised high, accepts the “Fabio Slashie Award” for “Best Actor ‘Slash’ Model.” He’s not just an actor or a model, but both—an actor/model.

Fast forward to 2007, when author Marci Alboher coined “slashie.” Her book One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success asks: “Are you a ‘slash’? With technology giving us the ability to work from anywhere and the nine-to-five grind becoming a thing of the past, more and more people are building careers filled with slashes.” She cites: lawyer/chefs, police officer/personal trainers, mom/CEOs. Although these folks are doing different things, they have one overriding element in common. They are straddling multiple roles, deriving income from not one but several activities.

Profile of Slashies

MediaSilo reports the “slashie” label, “widely used abroad,” is making its way to this corner of the world. As such, it asks: “Will 2020 Kick Off the Decade of the Slashies?” To answer, it references a Bankrate survey, which shows 45% of U.S. labor force participants had a “gig outside their primary job.” An Upwork study confirms this trend from the other end. That is, about 60% of employers use flexible workers, such as freelancers and temps, who may pursue various routes and projects. As for the future, these hiring managers expect this number to increase 168% over the next 10 years.

This career style pertains mainly, but not exclusively, to Millennials, or those born in the 1980s through mid-90s. Again, Bankrate offers metrics: “40% of Millennials identify their side hustles as making up at least half of their monthly earnings.”

It makes sense. Millennials largely “want to define their own identities: to select and control how they are perceived.” Per HuffPost:. “As this generation has matured and begun careers, they have applied to their professional descriptions the same meticulous self-curation they perfected on their Instagram accounts.” Previous generations favored lifelong careers in one facet or organization, Millennials “hop around, both to fast track their ascent and to taste-test different companies and roles.”

The Big Picture

As the slashie way gains momentum, organizations need to respond accordingly. Flexibility is paramount; that pertains to structuring work as well as hiring, managing and optimizing this cohort.

“Slashies thrive on creativity, and could get bored easily if you aren’t able to feed that need for creativity or variety in daily work.” Another angle is empowerment. HuffPost suggests: “Celebrate [slashies] for their side gigs, elevate their hobbies, and arm them with the tools to make their aspirations a reality.”

LinkedIn reports companies are adjusting. Since 2016, descriptions for jobs increased the use of “work flexibility” by 78%. That term itself is multifaceted. It may entail offering modified workdays and hours. “Workplace flexibility could be a tremendous help to not only the Slash Generation and their obligations but a healthy work/life balance for everyone.”

Not all hiring managers may initially view slashies as assets; instead they may question their loyalty. A suggestion is to embrace a strategic view based on their far-ranging capabilities. That, in turn, may inspire companies to tweak job titles in line with the likes of this group. The key: use a broad perspective in considering slashies and give them incentives.

Slashies are real and gaining ground. “Allowing these individuals to find meaning in their work and do what they enjoy is crucial to their workplace engagement and success in your organization.”

The Making of a Slashie

There are other reasons slashies have evolved:

Personal growth

A multidimensional job path enables a person to pursue interests. It offers “the possibility to manage different passions.” In contrast, a one-dimensional career “can be frustrating if [people] are not able to tap into all their talents.” And using free time to explore outlets has limitations, “Very often doing something as a hobby may not be enough.”

The modern answer to job insecurity

The Guardian suggests the 2007 recession created “the fastest increasing segment of workers in both the UK and the US, the portfolio careerist.” Rather than depending on one channel for revenue, slashies branch out as a defensive play. “When our entire income comes from a single position, it only takes one redundancy programme to drop us from comfort into terror. Compare that to the slasher with multiple sources of income: if she loses a job it doesn’t matter: she still has five more.”

Greater work-life balance

“What Are ‘Slash’ Careers And Why You Need One” says this strategy promotes satisfaction and balance. “By adopting a slash career, a millennial who feels unfulfilled in a particular area, can work towards achieving balance in another area while still paying the bills and getting certain needs met.” Forbes contends: “The possibilities of slash career options are truly limitless.” They plug intellectual, emotional, spiritual and other gaps. Working in several spheres simultaneously or subsequently fosters well-being.

Enhanced marketability

Career advantages accompany being a slashie per Forbes. “Slash careers can make you more enticing to an employer.” Having a mix of specialties expands a person’s overall value. Slash careers “give you greater discipline, creativity, and a broader skills set. Companies are always looking for self-starters and innovators on their team to help them get to the next level, and people who have taken the initiative to develop a slash career are more likely to bring these qualities into their office.”

Additional income

It costs a lot to be a Millennial or member of any generation. But Forbes notes: “It’s no secret that millennials are struggling with money. They had higher rates of being late with mortgage payments, overdrawing checking accounts, and trouble with medical costs. A slash career might not help with the financial literacy aspect, but it could help pay some of those bills.” Moonlighting and side gigs can build cash reserves.

One Person/Multiple Careers referenced above sums it up. It casts slashies as “creative thinkers,” who “have discovered the antidote to boredom, burnout, job insecurity and many other workplace woes.”

Possible Potholes

There are advantages to the slashie style, but potential downsides too. They include time management challenges. In piecing together several jobs, slashies may exceed the standard 5 day/40 hour work week by not just a small margin. “For those with two or more jobs, scheduling time for self-care—seeing a move, taking a walk, drawing a bath—is even more important for mental and physical health.” Billing and accounting factor into the picture too. The slashie needs to keep careful records and stay on top of monies owed and received. “Having multiple streams of income means being responsible for tracking it and ensuring you get paid on time.”

More caveats include lack of security and consistent work. Slashies with several part-time gigs likely do not have traditional benefits that come along with full-time positions. “Chances are you have no holiday pay, no parental or sick leave, and perhaps not even any health insurance.” Slashies also are subject to highs and lows of demand, which “don’t always appear at convenient moments.” In short: “The reality is that you’re often at the behest of how the work is flowing.”

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.