3 Ways to Address Quiet Firing in Your Workplace

Quiet quitting has been a major topic of conversation over the past couple months, but have you heard of quiet firing? Although the term may be new, the concept has unfortunately been a symptom of toxic work environments for quite some time. Quiet firing is the act of making someone feel uncomfortable in their role to the point where they feel they can no longer continue in that position. It comes in many forms – a manager not engaging with a particular employee, lack of meaningful feedback, a team member feeling like their ideas are being ignored, and more. What can HR managers do if they suspect quiet firing is happening in their workplace?

There are a few ways to address quiet firing in your workplace.

1. Aligned Expectations
   It's much easier to work together as a team if everyone is on the same page. The more conversations between HR, management and teams, the clearer expectations will be. Without clear expectations, it's easy for certain regular tasks, such as performance meetings and learning about team struggles, to slip through the cracks. If everyone's expectations are aligned, it will be very obvious when they're not being met.
2. Regular Engagement Training
   Regular trainings are imperative across all levels in a company, but incorporating more engagement trainings for leadership will help with management skills. When onboarding a new manager, conduct engagement and leadership-specific training, then continue trainings throughout the year. In order for teams and employees to grow their careers, ongoing education is important. The same goes for leadership teams!
3. Increased Communication
   Communication between managers and their teams is the cornerstone of employee engagement. A good leader always knows what's going on with their team and when feedback is required, both positive and negative. Encourage managers to communicate with their teams regularly, even when the conversations become difficult. 

There is no quick fix for quiet firing, but with the right tools in place, HR can help their managers function at their highest level.