{"id":7774,"date":"2024-12-09T12:55:24","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T12:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intch.org\/blog\/?p=7774"},"modified":"2025-02-03T16:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T16:23:08","slug":"quiet-quitting-overemploying-doing-the-bare-minimum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intch.org\/blog\/quiet-quitting-overemploying-doing-the-bare-minimum\/","title":{"rendered":"Quiet quitting, overemploying, doing the bare minimum, or 5 signs your employees might not actually be working."},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2022, TikTok blew up with trends like “doing the bare minimum<\/strong>” and “quiet quitting<\/strong>.” In videos racking up tens of millions of views, Millennials and Gen Z shared their approach to work: doing just enough to avoid getting fired.<\/p>\n

\"TikTok<\/p>\n

Soon, new trends joined the mix: overemployed <\/i><\/strong>\u2014 where people secretly juggle multiple jobs to boost their income \u2014 and angry quitting<\/i><\/strong>, which is all about dramatic, immediate, and often emotional exits.<\/p>\n

The overemployed<\/i><\/strong> subreddit now boasts 377,000 members, with year-end threads full of financial recaps and tips on how to juggle multiple jobs without getting caught.<\/p>\n

The dynamic between managers and employees is starting to feel more like a standoff, with trust eroding year by year.<\/p>\n

On one side, there\u2019s a growing number of searches like \u201chow to sue my employer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

On the other hand, companies are pushing employees to return to the office, where they\u2019re easier to monitor \u2014 even if it means adding an extra 1 or 2 hours of commuting each day, sparking widespread frustration.<\/p>\n

In the end, everyone loses.<\/p>\n

Here are 3 steps we recommend to resolve the conflict. These, in our opinion, can not only help address the growing tensions but also drive growth for everyone involved.<\/p>\n

How to Solve the Employee-Employer Conflict<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Redefine the Social Contract Between Employees and Companies<\/h3>\n

In the pre-COVID era, the social contract went something like this: companies paid for employees\u2019 time, knowledge, and effort. Being physically present in the office was the norm, and extreme loyalty was captured in moments like these:<\/p>\n

\"Esther<\/p>\n

Life during the pandemic proved that with tools like Zoom, Slack, Miro, Deel, and more, it\u2019s entirely possible to run a highly effective distributed workforce.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the real point of going to the office \u2014 other than the fact that companies are paying for its rent? Many employees are starting to ask a valid question: is the real purpose of office attendance just about control?<\/p>\n

For mediocre employees, this might not be an issue. But for top talent \u2014 the ones who have the freedom to choose where they work \u2014 it\u2019s a major concern.<\/p>\n

This is exactly the foundation of Spotify\u2019s current HR strategy.<\/p>\n

\"Spotify<\/p>\n

If you remove the need to control employees by tracking their office attendance and focus instead on the real goal\u2014achieving business results \u2014 the root cause of the conflict disappears.<\/p>\n

Takeaway:<\/b> Rethink your priorities. Hire employees not to occupy office chairs but to deliver outcomes. With this mindset, your oversight will shift to a higher level, and it won\u2019t matter where your team members are \u2014 as long as they\u2019re hitting their targets.<\/p>\n

And honestly, if they\u2019re not delivering results, it won\u2019t matter where they are, either.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Hire the Best<\/h3>\n

The statement sounds simple: every company aims to hire the best. Or at least, the best of those willing to work for them.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break it down with an example. Say your goal is to increase sales, and you\u2019re looking to hire a marketer to make that happen.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how most companies approach this:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Post a job listing<\/li>\n
  2. Conduct interviews<\/li>\n
  3. Hire the best from the pool of applicants<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What\u2019s wrong with this process? Let\u2019s dig deeper. Imagine your marketing strategy revolves around Facebook ads. Facebook ads operate in a hyper-competitive marketplace, where every company in the world is bidding for your target audience\u2019s attention, and ad costs are determined by an auction system.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s a key stat<\/b>: only 4% of Facebook ad campaigns are profitable. Think about it \u2014 just 4% of marketers know how to run campaigns that deliver a positive ROI.<\/p>\n

    Now, what are the chances that someone from this 4% happened to apply for your job? If your company has a strong brand, raised significant funding, and has been featured in Forbes, your odds are good.<\/p>\n

    But if not, you\u2019re facing an uphill battle.<\/p>\n

    How does this tie into overemployed<\/i>, quiet quitting<\/i>, and similar trends? It\u2019s simple: when you hire top talent, there\u2019s no need to micromanage or control them \u2014 they deliver results that drive business growth.<\/p>\n

    At Intch, we live by this philosophy. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Intch<\/a><\/p>\n

    Step 3: How to Hire the Best<\/h3>\n

    Let\u2019s talk about how to actually hire top talent. It\u2019s straightforward: the best professionals know their value. They understand the results they can deliver and are willing to sell their expertise \u2014 but only on their own terms.<\/p>\n

    Right now, those terms often mean part-time<\/i> work. Here’s what that looks like:<\/p>\n