Daily working life in the United States has changed dramatically over the last several years. The massive employment upheaval caused by the pandemic was followed by a gradual return to business – but not always into the office itself. Zoom calls, hybrid work, and new protocols required a learning curve, and even now, as the unemployment rate hovers at near-historic lows, inflation may be leaving many workers trapped – unhappy in their position but unwilling to forgo a secure situation.
What is Quiet Quitting?
It’s impossible to know the precise psychology of the moment, particularly across a group of more than 160 million people. But a certain ennui has definitively crept into the American workforce, according to data collected in a new survey: Gallup recently found that 50 percent of the U.S. workforce – and perhaps more – is currently engaged in the practice of “quiet quitting.”
In other words, today in America every other employed person is doing just enough to get by at work. Gallup calls the phenomenon a problem because “most jobs today require some level of extra effort to collaborate with coworkers and meet customer needs.” But if you run a business or hire talent for a living, you don’t need an explanation about why the trend is troubling. You need to know how to turn it around.
Consider Contractors to Avoid Overworking Your Employees
America’s employees haven’t simply decided they’re tired of work. Many of them, just like their employers, are wrangling with the effects of the ongoing labor shortage. Workers at short-staffed companies may take on a greater load – or have it heaped onto their shoulders – which can lead to frustration and burnout. And the last thing an employer struggling to hire needs is to chase off the employees already under their roof.
Companies hoping to avoid exactly that will want to engage their workforce, ensuring that employees don’t feel like just a number. Transparent conversations, contextual evaluations, clear growth opportunities and prompt performance reviews can help maintain employee morale and set expectations on both sides. Bridging the employment gap with independent contractors can also help avoid overtaxing your staff while providing the flexibility to scale up or down with the ebb and flow of business. If you’re looking to hire high-quality talent, PeopleCaddie is the talent cloud for the gig economy and ready to partner to help you reach your business goals.
Forget Quiet Quitting – Find a (Better) Contractor Gig
What if you’re an employee at a company that just can’t seem to find its way, or a business that lacks the necessary leadership at the mid levels? (Quiet quitting isn’t just a front-line worker issue: Gallup notes that only one in three managers are engaged at work.) Rather than switching to auto-pilot yourself, consider a move to contracting.
Contractors have the flexibility to move around, test out employers, seek the best compensation or most meaningful work, and even take time off or travel in between gigs. Often, contracting even allows for the sort of remote work that allows for travel during a project assignment.
PeopleCaddie facilitates in connecting contractors with a teeming network of companies, a variety of roles and benefits (including insurance and paid time off) you won’t often find as a go-it-alone freelancer. Working with PeopleCaddie partner companies bolsters your contractor profile within the network, and transparent ratings and reviews allow new employers – and perhaps former ones – to easily identify you as a candidate and reach out to set up your next gig.
Whether you’re an employer seeking to build out its contractor workforce or an employee looking to see what type of contracting gigs are out there, you can find out more at PeopleCaddie.com.