With all the changes the pandemic brought to the job scene—a global shift to remote work, more work-life balance demands from employees, and a labor shortage across industries—one that is a bit more subtle is known as quiet firing.
If it sounds ominous, it kind of is. Quiet firing is confusing and frustrating for the employee, and it’s meant to be an easy out for the employer. And it’s so under the radar that sometimes the organization isn’t even aware they’re doing it. But with quiet firing, everyone loses.
Before we talk about quiet firing, what is quiet quitting?
Let’s start by talking about quiet quitting, a term that’s become pretty ubiquitous in workplaces since the pandemic, as the “Great Resignation” took hold. Defined lightly, quiet quitting is when an employee pretty much has senioritis in their position—they’re over it. They aren’t engaged, they don’t do more than the bare minimum, and they don’t really care if they get fired. However, taking a deeper look, quiet quitting is what happens when employees feel like they’re underpaid, undervalued, or overworked. Instead of continuing to give 110 percent, they dial it down—simply delivering what’s on their job description.
If that’s quiet quitting, then what is quiet firing?
Quiet firing is the same thing as quiet quitting, only the other way around—the organization is the one who’s over the employee but doesn’t know how to say goodbye. They may take any number of steps to send the message:
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Changing the employee’s work responsibilities for seemingly no reason
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Treating them differently than their peers
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Setting unrealistic performance requirements
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Failing to give the employee a raise or promotion
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Reducing the employee’s workload
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Piling on the work in an unrealistic manner
Quiet firing has been seen as a kind of response to quiet quitting that started around 2021. Organizations have been feeling the heat since workers started quitting their jobs in record numbers over the last three years, looking for better pay or benefits or shifting careers. They may be wary to let people go, and they also don’t want to have a negative reputation. This has all created a storm of not-so-quiet chaos.
Why quiet firing is so toxic
Quiet firing may sound harmless on the surface, but it can lead to many poor consequences. Employees start to question their own work ethic or performance, not realizing that expectations or circumstances have changed. Employees may not leave, even under the worst conditions, creating a negative work experience and contributing to a worsening company culture. And employers or managers take no responsibility for any of it.
Quiet firing presents significant negatives for companies. As Ben Wigert, director of research and strategy, workplace management for Gallup, notes, “At the very least, it tarnishes your employer’s reputation as a good place to work, poisons team trust and can even hurt your ability to keep customers happy when key employees exit.”
These are not ingredients for a positive workplace. Even if an employee isn’t the right fit, what about all the other employees and teams witnessing this kind of treatment? Employees want to work somewhere where everyone feels valued and supported. Where the culture is about collective success and reward.
Employees also don’t want to work somewhere where they hate the boss. They want strong relationships built on trust. A study from Workleap found that 75 percent of employees who quit their jobs or have low engagement work say this is because of their managers or company leadership.
People want connection and support. No one wins when leadership is silently pushing someone out. Performance isn’t improving, and the employee is becoming more and more disengaged. Wigert says that while quiet firing may be common practice, “It isn’t good leadership, productive, or the right thing to do.”
What employers can do to end quiet firing
When quiet firing exists in a workplace, no one wins. The employee can feel dejected and frustrated, and the employer or manager isn’t seeing the employee contributions they need to succeed.
What can leaders do to change things when they recognize the signs of quiet firing? Or how about avoiding it completely?
1. Give performance feedback regularly
People value transparency. Leaders need to be transparent when someone is falling behind. A good practice is to implement regular performance reviews or check-ins to talk about strengths and weaknesses. This gives both parties a chance to air grievances.
Workleap also found that 75 percent of employees say their managers could define more precise goals for them. And Gallup research shows that when employees receive meaningful feedback at least once a week, they’re half as likely to be looking for a new job. So, organizations should commit to that weekly feedback so people know where they stand.
2. Discuss employee goals and be proactive together
A great employer or manager gets to know the goals and needs of their employees. Where do they see themselves in the next five years? What do they enjoy most about their current role that they’d like to pursue more? Managers should give them the chance to create a desired trajectory, and make it clear that leadership wants to be involved in helping employees reach their goals.
Gallup also found that just 22 percent of employees “strongly agree” that their boss continually helps them clarify their priorities.
3. Provide plenty of opportunities for them to course-correct
After a manager has noticed a decline in performance for an employee, they need to make sure they’re actually giving employees the resources and time to correct what’s going wrong. Leaders should ask how they can support them, discuss expectations clearly, and create a timeline for checking in again.
Being as clear as possible helps everyone involved. If a manager is not clear about expectations of the role and they don’t communicate how an employee needs to improve, they may be setting them up for failure.
4. Implement an employee recognition program
Studies find again and again that employees are more engaged and satisfied at work when they’re recognized and appreciated. They are almost half as likely to feel burnout when they have received recognition or praise within the last week, as Gallup data shows.
Managers and employers should consider implementing a program where employees are recognized regularly, whether they exceed expectations, complete a project, or do something praiseworthy for their coworker. This requires paying attention to performance metrics and implementing a system for acknowledging people.
5. Invest in training
Sometimes poor employee performance is a direct result of a lack of skills. Quiet firing may happen when an employee hasn’t been given adequate training to complete their tasks successfully.
Leadership should look at what gaps in skill sets may exist and determine training courses or opportunities that will help employees fill in those gaps. This step shows employees that the company wants to grow with them together, not that they are lacking something.
6. Fire employees when necessary
It may sound surprising that a solution to quiet firing is simply firing. But think of it as the less passive-aggressive method.
It’s no secret that firing someone is hard. No one likes to do it (we hope), but sometimes it is absolutely necessary. A manager may not notice they’re quiet firing someone when they are just avoiding the hard conversation. In this case, firing an employee who is wrong for the company is a positive.
If an employee is underperforming, if they appear to be quiet quitting themselves, don’t beat around the bush. Be clear and upfront. Do what will benefit both the company and the employee. Sometimes, that means letting them go.
How to find workplaces that prioritize growth
Job-seekers would be wise to be on the lookout for signs of quiet firing, or quiet quitting for that matter, neither of which portray a positive place to work. When you want to find a company or team that prioritizes growth, ask plenty of questions before accepting an offer.
1. Inquire about goal-setting and development processes
Before agreeing to join a team, ask the manager if they have a process for setting individual employee goals. Emphasize that you want to work somewhere that cares about your career goals and wants to support those objectives.
Pay attention to whether a company has a system established for regular check-ins, for example, about how employees feel in their roles and where they want to be in the next few years. Ask about professional development opportunities the company offers.
2. Ask about quiet firing and quiet quitting
With quiet quitting and quiet firing becoming so common, it’s a worthy topic to discuss in an interview. The type of company or manager you want to work for should be familiar with these terms and why they’re negatives for the team and the company.
Ask how they are addressing these overall workforce trends. Make sure they are being proactive and transparent.
3. Discuss technology resources and support
One reason quiet firing may happen unbeknown to leadership is a lack of resources. With more teams working remotely, many people feel disconnected and siloed. Managers may not realize that they are isolating an employee by not communicating with them enough or leaving them off on their own. Conversations may be avoided and topics never discussed with this distance and separation.
Always ask about social wellbeing, communication, and culture to ensure the company will provide the resources and community necessary for you to succeed. Those resources may be face time—the same Workleap study referenced above found that 70 percent of employees wish they could spend more time with their managers to establish a stronger connection.
Ultimately, you want to work for a company and team that prioritizes collaboration, empathy, emotional intelligence, and transparency. These elements lead to meaningful relationships that establish a positive work environment.
