Business consultant and strategist Vanessa Zamy has heard it all: employees who don’t show up for shifts, last-minute cancellations, short hire turnarounds, non-cooperative attitudes at all times, and bare minimum productivity.
The business owners who work with Zamy’s company, Your Vision’s Catalyst, share that these issues cause great anxiety and frustration, and they don’t know what to do about it.
In response to these concerns, Zamy has created an ongoing webinar: “Recession Proof Leadership: Prevent Quiet Quitting in your Small Business.” The next event takes place Wednesday, March 22, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $150. Sign up at Eventbrite.
“Quiet Quitting” is just a new term for apathy on the job, doing the bare minimum of work required with no enthusiasm. Social media plays a role in spreading the practice, observes Zamy. “Often, people really want to quit their jobs outright, but they need the money,” she says. They don’t know if they will find other work, so they “quiet quit.”
As a business owner and leader, there are steps you can take to prevent quiet quitting or change the situation if it occurs. In a conversation with U. S. 1, Zamy shared her insights:
The best time to prevent quiet quitting is in the hiring process. Start by building rapport to see if the person is a good fit for your company. Let your expectations about job performance and culture be known, and have your potential employees share their expectations with you. Deciding whether to bring someone on board requires looking beyond a person’s skill set to determine whether you both share the same values and expectations.
People quiet quit because they are bored or feel unappreciated. If an employee has taken on the behavior of quiet quitting, it could be that he or she is no longer a good fit for your company. On the other hand, the employee may want to be a productive team player in your company but is coping with issues he can’t resolve on his own.
He may feel frustrated by some aspects of his job. In this case, it makes sense to have a conversation with the employee about changes that could be made. Open communication is key, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Ask the employee to talk about what’s happening. Ask questions like, “What do you like or dislike about your job? What can be different?”
Maybe he could take on a different set of responsibilities or needs to know what he can do to earn a promotion. It is possible that the situation could be resolved by a renewed effort he can commit to and some changes you can make. If this is the case, give the quiet quitter a time frame for improving or for leaving the company.
Zamy recalls a time she had to let a quiet quitter go. The employee communicated that she really didn’t know what she wanted in terms of career and wasn’t happy there. They agreed that she and the company were no longer a good match, and they ended her employment on friendly terms.
When dealing with a quiet quitter, you need to think about the other employees. Quiet quitters can have a negative effect on others. Resentment sets in when they take on extra work because the quitter is not doing her fair share.
Sometimes, an employee’s behavior is affected by circumstances outside the workplace. Things can change in a person’s life including family, health, and other matters that could affect their emotional state or attitude, and thus impact the way they show up at work. As a leader, you may need to make some temporary allowances for an otherwise dependable employee, thus helping him in the short run, and helping your company in the long run.
Likewise, employees should be willing to make some adjustments when your business is affected by external changes, like volume of sales, consumer preferences and trends, or government regulations. These changes could have temporary impacts on workload or company policies.
It is important to recognize the personality traits of employees as they relate to roles they are best suited for. Some people are most happy as “doers” and mainly want to fulfill the responsibilities set out for them . Others have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to include their own ideas for getting the job done. They like taking the ball and running with it.
Overall, open communication builds trust between you and the employee who shares your values and wants to stay with your company. You need to trust your employee’s ability to do the job and his commitment to doing it well. This is the only way you can delegate work to others with confidence.
Keep in mind that employees are individuals. Some place a high value on communication and appreciate your efforts in this regard, while some place a high value on perks, like benefits, bonuses, or social gatherings that are not mandatory. Most employees appreciate stock options and having a stake in the company.
Speaking of retaining good employees, Zamy offers her version of The Three R’s: Rewards, Refreshments, Recreation.
Rewards: Every person is different. Some are competitive and work well with target numbers. Some prefer to stay in the background. But everyone likes to be acknowledged for their effort, whether it be a spoken “thank you,” a gold star, a raise, or a team meeting where one is announced as employee of the month.
Refreshments: Zamy doesn’t mean appetizers, but, she says, that helps too. Refresh your employees’ enthusiasm by reminding them why they were chosen to be on the team. Host regular sessions that focus on their main responsibilities, your company values and mission, and how they fit into the bigger picture.
Recreation: Think of ways you can make work fun for you and your employees.
Vanessa Zamy is a keynote speaker, author, professor, and global business consultant helping business owners revive, grow, and scale their business without burnout. She is the founder of the Boston-based company, Your Vision’s Catalyst, which provides resources for local storefronts, salons, and shops. Her company offers one-on-one business advising, entrepreneur retreats, monthly strategic advisory services, and webinars. Zamy is also known as “The Business Defibrillator.”
As she states in her online bio, Zamy started her entrepreneurial journey amidst her six-figure salary corporate job where she identified opportunities for over $500+ million in additional revenue for a multi-billion dollar company. Using the lessons she learned from her corporate career, she grew her own consulting company for small businesses.
She has been featured on NPR, Fast Company, SBE Small Business Expo and other stages. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University, and has completed programs at Udacity and Deloitte Bootcamp.
Zamy says she lives by her mantra, “have fun, make money, and share.” In her free time, she enjoys attending musicals, indulging in delicious deserts, and reading. A few of her favorite books include “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” and the “Harry Potter” series.
Zamy declares it’s essential for both business leaders and workers to enjoy what they’re doing. “A happy employee is a productive employee,” she says.
