Human Talent and ‘Quiet Quitting’ Phenomenon

As we know, humanity has lived through changing times that have presented both challenges and opportunities in recent years. One is the well-known retention of human talent in all organizations and industries, which leads to a great challenge and at the same time, a great opportunity to change the 9 to 5 work schedule paradigm of the last four decades.

During the last meeting of the World Economic Forum, a report called “The Great Resignation" was presented. This term has been in use since 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a survey conducted by PwC, it is estimated that 1 in every 5 (20 percent) formal employees will resign from their current jobs in 2022 and will seek better job opportunities that fit individual needs.

Employees of different companies around the world are searching for new job opportunities based on economic remuneration and the desire that their jobs have purpose. This means that the workforce is interested in their work having a positive impact on society and for it to be in accordance with their beliefs and ways of seeing and living life. 

Furthermore, the important issue of work-life balance has also come to the surface. As a result of the confinement imposed by COVID-19, the world’s workforce enjoyed spending time with their family, improving their physical and mental health, and more importantly spent time reflecting on their lives and priorities. People started carrying out personal activities that had been previously neglected simply because of lack of time or work burnout. 

Working from home also eliminated the stress and time spent commuting to and from work and sitting around during idle time that could otherwise be better spent if they were at home rather. It also released them from the burden of archaic company cultures. 

For most companies and SMEs (PYMES) in Latin America, however, working from home has been a great challenge, with hybrid work being the best option according to the functions of each position and the needs of each industry. The challenge for human resources departments, in my opinion, is to focus on the employees as individuals and not collectively as a group. 

The truth is that the new normality is totally different from the pre-pandemic "normality" and old ways of working and conducting business will not come back. The world has moved on and so has the workforce. In many aspects, both companies and individuals must adjust our business, operations and most importantly HR models to create situations that benefit all. 

As history has shown us, change is often good and an opportunity for growth and betterment. The era of telecommuting or work from home (WFH) is here to stay and in that sense, technology is our best ally to upskill our workforce and generate synergies with the wants and needs of current and upcoming generations. According to the article published by PwC, 54 percent of employees can and want to carry out their activities remotely and can do so successfully. 

In the survey presented during the World Economic Forum, an important topic to remember for C-level stakeholders is that the workforce can be a multiplier or a detractor; workforce is the No. 1 risk for a company’s growth and success. This is why understanding their wants and needs is key to collaboration. 

Specialization empowers the workforce and a pretty good number of companies are investing in their people but, unfortunately, it is not enough. There is much more we can do for our employees to retain this talent in our organizations, such as providing upskilling, guiding them with psychological support and trying to find a balance between work and personal life. Nearly 40 percent of employees said their company is upskilling. The technology in every aspect of our life also increases the concern that employees will be replaced by robots.

According to Asana´s 2022 Anatomy of work report, seven out of 10 employees experienced burnout in 2021. The report showed that employees with burnout make more mistakes, leave the company and are less engaged. The new term “quiet quitting” is gaining followers and putting HR departments at a crossroad as employees increasingly question their careers and look for more work-life balance, according to the LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2020report. 

The more common signs of quiet quitting are: 

- Arriving late or leaving early

- Not attending meetings or events

- Less contribution to new projects 

- Lack of passion for work 

- Reduction of productivity 

Companies and employees need to keep honest communication channels open. There needs to be a partnership where employers seek to provide improved and flexible work conditions. Similarly, employees need to be accountable for their work and perform as expected, whether they are working in an office or at home. The good news is that COVID conditions forced both employees and companies to work in unexpected, flexible, unusual ways and life kept moving, companies kept growing and employees found more fulfillment in their existing jobs, which means there is no reason why we can’t find a more permanent balance that works for all and continue adjusting to ever-changing times.