How to Identify and Overcome Quiet Quitting in Healthcare

Employee engagement and retention are essential considerations for the long-term success of any healthcare institution. While some employees submit their resignation notices outright, others may opt for a passive approach to addressing their dissatisfaction – known today as quiet quitting. In post-pandemic healthcare, quiet quitting is common but easily overlooked.

Clinicians may still appear to be working hard, but they stop caring about organizational initiatives and “extracurricular” activities that help reach the bottom line. This phenomenon threatens the quality of patient care and jeopardizes the institution’s reputation. In this article, we will discuss how to identify the signs of quiet quitting in healthcare employees and how to increase employee engagement.

Quiet quitting is defined as a form of employee disengagement. It occurs when an employee stops participating in work activities and putting their heart and soul into the job, without giving any notice or submitting an official resignation. This trend has grown common in many industries over the past year due to the pandemic, job insecurity, and burnout among healthcare employees.

Quiet quitting can be deceiving in healthcare because clinicians often continue to prioritize their patients even if they have mentally checked out of their job or the organization. But behind the scenes, they may be disengaged from organizational initiatives, feeling unappreciated, or disenchanted with the corporate culture. Therefore, healthcare organizations must be uniquely equipped to both identify and overcome this issue.

Employee disengagement can be hard to spot, especially in a culture where medical staff may be perceived as fully dedicated to their patients. But there are still some warning signs to watch out for, such as:

• A lack of initiative or passion for tasks that they once cared about
• Low participation in team meetings or other collaborative opportunities
• A lack of interest in growth or development opportunities
• More extended periods of break time or frequent absenteeism
• Negative comments or complaints about the work environment
• Regularly failing to satisfy productivity standards without overt cause

One of the signals to notice quiet quitting is when an employee stops taking the initiative. The employee no longer takes on additional tasks beyond their assigned job scope, even when asked. They only perform the bare minimum required to get the job done, and they may be less engaged with co-workers.

Engaged employees typically go beyond their specific daily tasks. These activities, including company culture efforts, diversity and inclusion events, and volunteering programs, benefit the business. Disengaged employees will stop participating, affecting the business’s overall community and guest experience.

Typically, employees show interest if anopportunity is available within their organization that offers career advancement. When employees start to reject advancement opportunities, this could be a clear signal of quiet quitting.

High employee absenteeism is a cause of concern and another sign of quiet quitting. Although employees may not explicitly state the reason for their absenteeism, there could be identifiable patterns and a relation between an employee’s engagement level and their absence rate.

When employees feel disengaged, they may start to voice complaints about the work environment. This could include problems with workloads, team dynamics, or even the leadership of the organization.

When employees become disengaged, it shows in their productivity – the amount of work done reduces. The feeling of fulfillment with their job and the process of work may dwindle, and the output produced may decrease.

As an employer, paying attention to even subtle shifts in attitudes and behaviors that may indicate an employee is quietly quitting is essential. Once quiet quitting has taken hold of an employee, it becomes very difficult to increase employee engagement thereafter.

Additionally, their organizational pessimism can impact the employee satisfaction potential of other staff. New staff may take the opinions of a more seasoned employee as a sign of what it’s like to work in the organization rather than the effects of pandemic-related burnout, and this can have long-term consequences on overall employee engagement in healthcare.

Therefore, healthcare leaders must identify signs of quiet quitting early and take proactive steps to preserve a positive workplace culture.

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To tackle the issue of quiet quitting, healthcare organizations need to create an environment that engages employees at every level. This can be accomplished through the following strategies:

1. Improve Two-Way Communication
2. Offer Opportunities for Professional Growth and Development
3. Regularly Recognize and Appreciate
4. Develop Employee Wellness Programs
5. Encourage Collaboration and Teamwork

These strategies can help build a positive environment with engaged employees, which reduces the likelihood of quiet quitting. Organizations also need to understand the unique pressures that healthcare workers face. Many clinicians are struggling with burnout due to increased workloads, and employers need to recognize this. They should provide support, resources, and education on how to manage their mental health so that employees can continue to do what they love without being overwhelmed.

One of the most effective ways to increase employee engagement in healthcare is by thoughtful communication and active listening. Unfortunately, many healthcare workers feel unheard or undervalued within their organizations. Therefore, leaders need to take steps to improve communication by:

• Providing a dedicated space or time for open and honest feedback from the team
• Giving regular and constructive feedback to employees
• Regularly checking in with employees to assess job satisfaction and well-being
• Being transparent about organizational changes and goals, and the larger reason behind them

Effective communication provides a sense of value and belonging that can activate employees and reduce the chances of quiet quitting. Sometimes all it takes is a little honesty about the current barriers and factors impacting the changes they were expecting.

Many healthcare workers choose their careers because they care about helping people, and fostering a growth mindset is crucial for employee engagement in healthcare. As such, providing opportunities for professional growth and development is necessary. Employers can demonstrate their commitment to their staff’s development by:

• Offering relevant training and education opportunities
• Encouraging employees to attend conferences and networking events
• Providing mentorship or coaching programs
• Rewarding employees for their contributions and successes

Investing in professional growth and development opportunities can keep employees motivated and engaged in their work, especially when the push comes from a valued mentor.

Recognition and appreciation go a long way. Employees need to be acknowledged for their hard work and dedication, especially during times of stress. Healthcare workers often put in tremendous effort and take on added responsibilities that are not always seen by their employers. To create a culture of appreciation, organizations can:

• Publicly recognize individual or team successes
• Reward employees with gift cards, extra vacation days, or bonuses
• Create an employee recognition program that encourages constant appreciation, especially from fellow staff members
• Organize team-building events and fun activities to promote a positive and team-centric work culture

Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to be engaged in their work and less likely to quietly quit.

Mental health and overall wellness should top the organizational priority list. Healthcare workers are under immense pressure to manage patient workloads, and the pandemic has further exacerbated this situation. It is paramount that employers create a culture of wellness by providing:

• Regular mental health check-ins with qualified professionals, mentors, and/or leaders
• Flexible work schedule options, especially for caregivers
• Access to health services or resources to efficiently manage their own health concerns
• Mental health awareness training for both self-identification and identifying concerns in others
• Stress management programs focused on healthcare environments
• Time off for relaxation and rest, especially during shifts longer than 8 hours

Creating an environment focused on the health and wellness of employees can help reduce burnout rates and quiet quitting within the organization.

Teamwork is essential to healthcare organizations. It ensures everyone’s concerns are heard, ideas are generated, and solutions are developed. Healthcare leaders can help foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork by:

• Encouraging open conversations about problems
• Creating an atmosphere of mutual trust
• Providing employees with the autonomy to make decisions
• Embracing diversity and inclusivity
• Developing collaborative projects that involve different departments
• Organizing team-building activities

When healthcare teams collaborate, they can develop innovative solutions and make meaningful contributions to patient care. This ultimately increases engagement and decreases the chances of quiet quitting due to disenchantment.

By taking proactive steps to increase employee engagement in healthcare and reduce quiet quitting in healthcare organizations, employers can create a work environment where employees are supported and valued. With the right strategies in place, employers can foster a culture of appreciation and collaboration that empowers healthcare workers to make an impact on the quality of care they provide.

Quiet quitting is a real issue in healthcare, and organizations must commit to combating it by recognizing the signs of disengagement and implementing strategies that improve employee engagement. By improving communications, offering professional growth opportunities, and creating a supportive work environment, healthcare employers can foster a dedicated, satisfied healthcare workforce. Ultimately, such a workforce will translate to better patient care, employee retention, and business success.

If you are looking for more healthcare-focused resources, check out iHire’s Resource Library. We have a variety of articles related to healthcare topics like employee engagement in healthcare, recruitment, training, and more.