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Lack of employee motivation affects the company’s productivity
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- Author: Alex Christian
- Role, from BBC Worklife
3 hours ago
Stuck in jobs they don’t like or with salaries that don’t satisfy them many workers become unmotivated and end up opting for the “quiet layoff” when they decide to do as little as possible.
The rate of voluntary layoffs is falling. In the US, they have normalized to prepandemic levels, apparently ending a period in which many workers left their jobs. Hiring also slowed. In the UK, the number of job vacancies has fallen quarterly over the past year.
Experts say some workers are happy to stay in their jobs: many have found new roles after reconsidering their careers. But not all employees stay in their positions of their own free will. Some still want to quit, but with slowing hiring and uncertainty about the economy, they could be stuck in jobs they don’t like for the foreseeable future.
When the market is hot, dissatisfied workers can more easily change jobs or industries to find a position they like better.
“If people feel like they don’t have an inspiring job and see opportunities elsewhere, they are likely to try to fulfill their career needs elsewhere,” says Jim Harter, workplace management and wellbeing researcher at American consulting firm Gallup.
However, since there is no prospect of employment elsewhere, people are usually unable to quit instead, they quit “quietly”, that is, they start doing as little as possible. According to Gallup data from June 2023, 59% of 122,416 workers surveyed worldwide say they are disengaged at work.
There are many reasons why workers are currently unmotivated, experts say.
On the one hand, the cost of living and stagnant wage growth have led to more workers being dissatisfied with their salaries.
“Salary is often the main reason someone is dissatisfied with their current job you work hard, but your salary doesn’t increase,” explains Nela Richardson, chief economist at human resources firm ADP in New York, USA.
A large proportion of workers also get stuck in jobs that they don’t care about. The fact that they want a new role but can’t get it leaves them feeling frustrated, trapped and without agency. Without mobility on the labor market “[eles] “They stay in a job simply because they have no choice, not because they feel fulfilled and motivated by their role,” says Ngaire Moyes, manager of LinkedIn UK.
This is where the silent dismissal comes into play. “Most people give up quietly because of the nature of their work,” Harter says. “They do the minimum because they don’t feel inspired and they don’t feel like they have the opportunity to do what they do best.”
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Companies must make efforts to engage workers
Consequences of “tacit termination”
For an employee, being stuck in a job they don’t like is at best unpleasant and at worst damaging. And giving up quietly doesn’t help. “It’s a behavior that can lead to lower wellbeing over time,” says Harter. “In practice, putting yourself in a cocoon and doing only the bare minimum most of the time can have a negative impact on mental health. And it’s not a way to build a successful career.”
The attitude of many companies also exacerbates the problem.
Harter says a company’s lack of investment in its workforce often leads to “silent layoffs.” “Some employers may now believe they have more control when employees have fewer options elsewhere. And that’s why employers don’t make as much effort to inspire their teams,” he says.
However, the issue represents a major problem for companies as demotivation of employees leads to a loss of productivity. Experts say companies themselves should be interested in engaging their employees.
If they don’t improve conditions for workers, more and more of their workers will start doing bare minimum work until they can change companies.
Part of that puzzle, Richardson said, is ensuring workers feel supported and prioritized and that their mental health and quality of life are being paid attention to.
“With a labor shortage, many employers are doing more to retain their employees by offering them more flexibility. But as labor shortages ease, some organizations may withdraw these offers and benefits,” she says.
In economically difficult times, such as inflation and rising costs of living, employers are also obliged to recognize employees’ circumstances, says Harter.
He cites Gallup numbers indicating that engagement is also affected by crises outside of the workplace. “In difficult times, building the right corporate culture is even more important to increase employee engagement,” he adds.
The reality for most workers is that they may have to stay in their current role whether they like it or not. And when companies don’t do more to attract dissatisfied employees, many people choose to “quietly quit” and do as little as possible.