How to Spot Quiet Quitting in Remote Work: 9 Tips
The term “quiet quitting” has been used to describe people who have mentally checked out of their jobs. Instead of quitting, an employee chooses to do less—or do just enough to turn over a paycheck.
Most quiet quitters are out looking for new work or focusing their time and energy on projects outside of work. With remote work making it difficult to spot quiet quitters, there are some signs to look out for.
1. They Don’t Participate in Meetings
If you have a teammate who is selective about the meetings they attend, while knowing full well that their presence is required, you may have a quiet-quitter. While it may not be necessary to attend every meeting, if your team member is deliberately missing meetings to prove a point, it could mean their motivation has gone down.
Similarly, if a team member is joining meetings but appears disinterested and doesn’t contribute in any way, you may have a quiet-quitter. After a while, it becomes easy to spot workers who have decided to disengage themselves from work—especially if they acted the complete opposite when they were hired.
2. They Don’t Join Events
If your team has organized leisure events online, such as gaming nights or virtual get-togethers, and people are uninterested in joining, there could be a number of reasons. They could have a lot on their plate already, or they have other commitments, but if team members are choosing to avoid every single event, it could be an indication that they’ve lost their desire to interact with their team.
While it may not mean that they are downright quiet quitting, it could indicate that they don’t want to be a part of the work culture. This is something that managers should be mindful of, especially if there are things within their organization that are not going so well.
Social events and team activities are chances for employees to enjoy themselves, so if people are choosing not to attend, there is probably a more serious reason. Assessing why team members are not participating could shed some light on underlying problems.
3. They Withdraw or Check Out
If you’re noticing usually bubbly and motivated team members less engaged in their daily work, it could be an indication that they are checking out.
If a team member suddenly seems indifferent about the company or their work, it could indicate that they no longer care about their position and are (likely) on the lookout for something else. While there aresigns that tell you when somebody is ready to leave their job, it could be that there is a more prominent problem in their lives.
While there are a number of reasons for checking out, if the person in question appears to be their happy self outside of working hours, it could mean that their problem lies in their work. Perhaps they have become apathetic about what they’re doing, in which case they are consciously choosing to withdraw.
4. They Don’t Meet Deadlines
If there has been a significant change in your colleagues' work performance, there is usually a reason for it. If your co-worker was once proactive and engaged, and now they are handing work in that is of poor quality, it could mean that they no longer find the work interesting.
While there could be a number of reasons for the change in quality, such as personal problems, or burnout, consistently handing in work that is not up to scratch may mean that they are quiet quitting. There aresmart ways to quit a job on good terms, but if your colleague no longer shows interest in the way their poor performance is perceived, they are likely on their way out.
5. They Act Disinterested
If your co-worker is cynical about the company culture, or disinterested in the work they are doing, it could indicate that they are getting ready to leave. While quiet quitting could be a reason why they’re acting this way, it could also mean that they have found another job—or that they no longer agree with the company’s policies and work ethics.
6. They Are Not Reachable
One of the reasons that people choose to quiet-quit is when they are feeling overworked, uninspired, or underpaid. One way to spot that someone has lost interest in their work is by the working hours they do. For example, if your company has a policy about core working hours and your co-worker is ignoring those, it could indicate that they no longer care.
By disrespecting some key rules and company regulations, a quiet-quitter may think that they can do the hours they choose rather than adhere to company standards.
7. They Isolate Themselves
In a remote working environment, it is still possible to perform to the best of your abilities. This includes staying active in chat channels, contributing ideas, and having an input in work processes. If your colleague is no longer participating in any of these things, and they’ve decided to isolate themselves both mentally and emotionally from workplace demands, it could be a sign that they are quiet quitting.
8. They Don’t Show Initiative
If a co-worker that was once full of ideas suddenly has none, it could indicate that they have lost interest in the job. While there are a number of reasons why somebody is no longer showing initiative, a quiet-quitter usually doesn’t want to give more of themselves to a company they no longer care about.
One way to do that is by not putting their ideas on team boards, for instance—or by claiming that there is nothing else to be done. No matter which way they choose to do it, when a co-worker who was once enthusiastic loses interest, it may be worthwhile to dig deeper to find the real problem.
9. They Might Be Burned Out
While burnout is not a prerequisite for quiet quitting, people who are overworked and underpaid could turn into quiet quitters. Companies with a high turnover, unclear expectations, and those that report a spike in workplace stress, might well produce some quiet quitters.
According toDeloitte’s Workplace Burnout Survey, it was found that out of 1,000 US professionals, 77 percent of workers said that they experienced burnout at their current job. When employees are unhappy with their company and their workload, burnout in the workplace can easily lead to a culture of quiet quitting.
Understand the Reasons Behind Quiet Quitting
While it may be easy to jump to conclusions as to why somebody is quiet quitting, not every employee is the same. By looking deeper into the reasons why somebody is no longer contributing to their workplace like they used to, you may be able to get to the bottom of their behavior.
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