What’s with all these buzzwords lately in HR?  Quiet Quitting.  Quiet Hiring. Ghost Jobs. Boomerang employees. Now enter: Quiet Firing.

What is Quiet Firing?

The concept of “quiet firing” is not new. It’s just a new term for something we have seen before.  Quiet firing is a term used to describe making your employees so miserable at work that they will quit.  You might recognize this practice as constructive discharge.

So, why the new term? One, it’s a catchy phrase that is easy to remember and captures the passive-aggressive style of this type of management. Two, it’s a counterpart to quiet quitting that reflects disengagement by the employer — similar to how quiet quitting reflects disengagement by the employee.

Ultimately, regardless of what you call it, it’s not an effective way to manage a difficult employee situation.

What Quiet Firing Looks Like

Over the years, I have spoken with employers and managers who are nervous (and sometimes unwilling) to provide feedback to an employee or are nervous about terminating them. In these situations, they usually say something like, “Well, if I don’t give them any hours, maybe they’ll just quit,” or “If they continue being left out, hopefully they’ll just quit,” or “They will probably leave if I don’t give them that raise/promotion/assignment.”

If your employee isn’t doing a good job, you need to let them know.  They need to be trained well and coached when it isn’t sinking in right away.  After a few tries, if they still aren’t getting it, maybe it’s time for some more training, or a warning, or maybe termination. There is never a good reason to sit back and watch someone flail about instead of providing valid constructive criticism.

The Problem with Ignoring Employee Performance and Workplace Issues

Quiet firing creates the worst kinds of work environments, where people can simply show up every day, fail, and fail repeatedly, because the employer or manager isn’t willing to take the time to tell them that they need to improve.  This is how hostile work environments are created.  It’s another form of harassment and bullying. This is seventh grade, all over again.

Occasionally, we see employees who are not well-liked by their coworkers, and a concerted effort is made to ignore and exclude them in an attempt to encourage them to leave. Sometimes the targeted employee will speak up, but more often than not, they just leave, and they take that bad experience with them forever.

Sometimes, these situations are not driven by malice or nervousness.  Rather, poor managers create this environment without even realizing it.  They may not have had manager training.  They may simply not know how to be a manager. According to Gallup, only 34% of employees surveyed reported that their manager gives them recognition when they do good work. Conversely, 6 in 10 managers believe they do a good job of recognizing their direct reports when they do good work.  There is a big disconnect here!

Addressing Performance to Avoid Quiet Firing

The good news is, this type of scenario can be avoided, and it’s as simple as training and supporting your people. It’s performance management 101.

1. Hire a candidate who fits the company both with personality and job skills and/or capability. You need to find someone with the technical skills to do the job and the right personality and cultural fit to succeed at your company. A good fit means they’ll be happier, more engaged, and more likely to stay long-term.
2. Clear expectations lead to met expectations. Show them the job description so they understand what’s expected of them. By showing them what you expect, you empower them to meet and even exceed those expectations.
3. Train the employee. Effective employee training is an ongoing process that starts at onboarding and continues throughout their time with the company.
4. Support the employee, engage with them. Regularly check in with employees to see how they’re doing, address any challenges they’re facing, and make sure they feel like a valued part of the team.
5. Offer compliments and constructive criticism in a timely fashion. When an employee does something well, recognize it immediately. This positive reinforcement motivates them to continue their good work. Similarly, if they make a mistake or need to improve in an area, address it promptly. Frame criticism as a way to help them grow, not as a punishment.
6. Follow up to ensure that expectations are met. You can’t just set expectations and walk away. Inspect what you expect. This keeps everyone aligned and accountable.
7. When promoting an employee to management, train them again. The skills that make someone a great individual contributor are often different from the skills needed to be a great manager. The best plumber in the world who’s never managed someone is likely to fail as a manager, unless you teach them how.

What To Do When All Efforts Fail

If, after all these efforts, the employee is still failing, you’re faced with an important decision: one final attempt at corrective action or termination. What you do depends on your company policy and the circumstances of this employee’s performance.

A final corrective action might involve a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), outlining the areas needing improvement and the consequences of failing to meet those goals. Alternatively, if the employee’s performance issues are severe or persistent despite all prior efforts, termination may be the only remaining option.

The keyword here is effort.  If you make an effort, and your employee makes an effort, you can avoid quiet firing altogether.  You will both know right away where everyone stands and can work accordingly toward a bright future with the company or a respectful exit plan.

The key takeaway is that doing nothing is never an option. Ignoring the issues doesn’t make them go away.  Pay attention and provide support. It’s really that easy.

By: Amy Matthews, SPHR