In a new study published in Hospitality Net, researchers identified the top reasons why workers choose to "quiet quit" — as well as what motivates them to continuing working hard at their job.

Why workers quiet quit — or don't

For the study, Fred DeMicco, executive director and professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University, and Elisabeth Gutt, an MBA candidate at the university's business school, surveyed 130 adult workers to understand their motivations for quiet quitting.

Among the respondents, 63% said they had considered reducing the amount of effort they put into their job, and 50% said they had actively reduced the effort they put into their job.

When asked about their reasons for quiet quitting, the most common response was to reduce stress and avoid burnout. Other common reasons for quiet quitting include increasing their work-life balance, having too little reward or recognition at work, and being unhappy at work.

However, the respondents also outlined several reasons why they had not quiet quit, even if they had considered it before. The most common reason was that they were satisfied with their position and workload. Extra work being recognized and rewarded, as well as loyalty to their company, were also common motivators to not quiet quit.

In general, DeMicco and Gutt note that most of the positively connotated motivations ranked higher than the negatively associated ones, demonstrating that "employees being satisfied or feeling recognized are more significant reasons that keep people from quiet quitting than simply wanting to avoid conflict or negative consequences."

How can companies address quiet quitting?

According to DeMicco and Gutt, there are four aspects that companies should focus on to ensure that they can keep their "skilled, knowledgeable, and trained employees" in the long term.

1. Employee motivation and performance

Some important factors that impact employee motivation are a fair salary, job security, receiving feedback and recognition, and flexibility.

Employee motivation is also directly linked to performance since those who are unmotivated do not accomplish as much as they would have otherwise. "[I]f companies are not able to properly motivate their employees, they cannot expect individuals to take on more work that goes beyond their initial job description and actual tasks," DeMicco and Gutt write.

2. Engagement and turnover

Engagement may sometimes be the only reason that an employee does not quiet quit. In general, DeMicco and Gutt write that managers need to be aware of any signs that employee engagement is declining, especially if turnover rates are higher than usual.

3. Company culture

Many factors that affect quiet quitting, such as feedback, rewards, and leadership, are also a part of a company's culture.

"People want to be treated well, particularly in a place like their work where they spend a substantial part of their life. Unhappiness and mistreatment are two of the main reasons why people started to resign or quiet quit voluntarily," DeMicco and Gutt write. "… Without being rewarded for their efforts, they will not want to keep trying as hard."

4. A respect for work-life balance and boundaries

Work-life balance plays a crucial role in employee engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. However, because what constitutes a good work-life balance can be "very subjective and personal," there isn't a "one-size-fits-all" solution to meet everyone's needs.

Instead, DeMicco and Gutt recommend that companies be flexible with their employees whenever possible and trust them to work effectively even while remote.

"With the workplace and life, in general, becoming more and more demanding (pandemics, natural disasters, a war on European soil, the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, etc.), the risk to employees' mental health and overall well-being is greater than ever," they write. (Kayser, Becker's Hospital Review, 2/16; DeMicco/Gutt, Hospitality Net, 2/16)