How to Combat ‘Quiet Quitting’ and ‘Quick Quitting’ in a Tight Job Market

It seems as though there’s a new trend in the employment marketplace every time you turn around. First, there was “quiet quitting.” Now there’s “quick quitting.” Successfully hiring qualified candidates and retaining employees is difficult enough without new trends making the challenge even more difficult.

There’s a good chance that you already know what “quiet quitting” is, as it’s been making headlines in the news for several months. In fact, you may have experienced it yourself within your Animal Health organization or Veterinary practice.

‘Quiet quitting’ in the job market

“Quiet quitting” is an informal term for the practice of reducing the amount of effort one devotes to one’s job, such as by stopping the completion of any tasks not explicitly stated in the job description. The term implies that this is done secretly or without notifying one’s boss or manager. That’s where the “quiet” part of the trend originates.

There are two main catalysts for this trend. The first catalyst involves the attitude that the employee wants a raise and/or promotion and will not put forth greater effort until they receive one. While this might seem like counterintuitive thinking, this is the prevailing viewpoint among many workers. The second catalyst is rooted in the fact that the employee in question has already made the decision that they’re going to leave, so they’ve decided to put in the minimum amount of effort at their current job while they look for another one.

Below are some examples of employees who may be engaging in “quiet quitting”:

• An employee who has always worked hard and stayed late to get work done, but has stopped doing so.
• An employee who has always been friendly and engaging, but now appears withdrawn and subdued.
• An employee who has always been forward-thinking and contributed fresh ideas for the organization, but is now quiet.

Of course, there could be other things happening in the person’s life that are contributing to this behavior. Regardless, you should meet with the employee to discuss the situation and see what’s on their mind. Communicating with employees is a great way to keep them engaged.

During these conversations, it’s important to identify what is most important to the employee.

Here are five questions you can ask:

1. Do you feel like your core values and the core values of the organization are in alignment?
2. What are your goals in terms of skills acquisition?
3. What are your goals for yourself here at the organization?
4. What are the long-term goals that you have for your career?
5. If you could change one thing about your employment here at the organization, what would it be?

The goal is to discuss the employee’s career growth and their possible path forward. You want the employee to know that you’re invested in their future and there are opportunities for them at the organization. An employee who can see the opportunities at their employer are more likely to stay and take advantage of them.

‘Quick quitting’ in the job market

“Quick quitting,” on the other hand, is different from “quiet quitting.” One of the differences stems from the fact that the employee does not wait to quit. That’s because it’s defined as resigning from your job even though you’ve only been in the role for less than one year. While that might seem surprising, what’s more surprising is how commonplace this trend is becoming.

According to a survey by the job posting site Monster in December of 2022, 57% of respondents indicated that they had quit a job after less than one year of employment. Not only that, but 5% also indicated they’ve quit a new job after only one day. According to respondents, they:

• Were working at a toxic workplace and were burned out.
• Say their roles were different from what was described during the interview.
• Received a better offer at a different company.
• Were worried about the financial future of their company.

However, the most worrisome result of the Monster survey was that even though 47% of survey participants believe that “quick quitting” is a “red flag” to recruiters and hiring managers, they would do it anyway under the right circumstances. In other words, they ultimately don’t care what recruiters and hiring managers think, and one of the reasons they don’t care is the current state of the job market. They know they have the leverage in the market, and they believe that affords them the luxury of “quick quitting” and still finding another attractive employment opportunity.

What can employers do to combat “quick quitting”? Many of the same things that help them to retain their employees in the first place, including the following:

• Keep candidates fully engaged during the hiring process. Not only does this help prevent candidates from dropping out of the process, but it also helps to prime them if they happen to be the top choice at the end of the process.
• Onboard new hires with excellence. Remember that the onboarding process starts the moment that the candidate accepts the offer. It does not start on their first official day of work.
• Focus on providing the “validation of experience” after the hire. What a candidate experiences after they’ve been hired must match what they were told and promised prior to their hire.
• Keep the new employees engaged following the hire. They will need additional guidance to get them up and running as quickly as possible, which will allow them to be productive sooner, as well as more engaged.

Hiring and retention in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession has never been as challenging as it is right now, and trends such as “quiet quitting” and “quick quitting” are only increasing the degree of difficulty. This is yet another reason why partnering with an experienced and reputable recruiting firm can help your organization meet the challenges and overcome the obstacles that are preventing you from recruiting, hiring, and retaining the top talent you need to succeed.

Find out more about The VET Recruiter’s services for employers and also learn more about our recruiting process and how we can help you hire and retain more Animal Health professionals and veterinarians in 2023.

We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. If this is something that you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.