There are so many workplace buzzwords around at the moment! The words might be new, but I don’t think the concepts are. I’ve gathered together as many as I can think of and tried to bring them to life in this cautionary tale.
The world is changing fast thanks to the recent pandemic plus the fresh perspectives and expectations that new generations bring to the workplace.
If you employ people-
❓How aware are you of these ‘buzzwords’ or the concepts that they represent?
❓What are the reasons behind or causes of any of these concepts?
❓What are you seeing/experiencing in relation to them in your organisation or industry sector?
❓What metrics do you report on that tell you the impact of these concepts?
❓How are you harnessing/capitalising or addressing/mitigating the impact of them through your people practices?
Workplace Buzzwords: A Cautionary Tale
New Hire's Remorse
This is Sue. Sue just started a new job. She was so excited, but is horrified to discover it is not at all what she expected. A few years ago, she might have felt that she had to stay for a couple of years so it doesn't look odd on her CV, but the world is different now. She will give it a few months, then start looking for a new job.
Quiet Firing
These are some of Sue's colleagues. They are feeling pretty fed up about how their managers treat them. They get no recognition for their hard work, no opportunities to develop and grow their careers, no direction or feedback on goals and performance and no flexibility in any aspect of their work. The do not feel valued or that anyone cares about them.
Quiet Quitting
Sue got chatting to Steve over lunch. Steve had been at breaking point. He felt under-appreciated and very disengaged. It was effecting his mental health. Steve told Sue that he now just does the minimum he is contractually required to do to keep his job.
Bare Minimum Monday
Sue sits next to Dave. Dave used to get the 'Sunday Scaries'. Dave now takes it easy on a Monday to ease himself into the week. He just focuses on one or two absolutely essential tasks and doesn't put any pressure on himself to do anything that he finds challenging. If he can get away with it, he has a lot of downtime on a Monday.
Resenteeism
Dave's mate, Phil is actually feeling pretty angry about his work situation. The company doesn't care about him, so why should he care about the company? He is feeling bitter and resentful, so isn't really working very hard. He is also quite vocal about how he is feeling which is impacting the morale of the people who work with him.
Chaotic Working
Mary was in the same place as Phil a while ago, but she literally couldn't care less now. She is breaking all the rules. She is getting her revenge on the company by giving her clients huge discounts. She likes to think of herself as the Robin Hood of the corporate world.
Career Cushioning
Bob has been brushing up his CV and updating his Linked In, doing couple of on-line courses and building his network. He is in touch with some recruiters... just in case. He doesn't like how things are going at the moment. There are rumours about redundancies, plus employee morale is very low at the moment. He wants to make sure he has a plan B.
Rage Applying
Amara has had enough. She just found out that she hadn't been successful in her application for a promotion. She's never had any support in developing her career, she didn't get any feedback from the interview, plus the job is going to an external hire. She fired off 5 job applications on a whim. She already has an interview lined up.
Great Resignation
Sue never really got to know these colleagues as they were leaving as she joined. There seem to be quite a lot of people leaving the company. It must be very disruptive for their teams. And the company must be spending a fortune on recruiting and training new people.
Well-Being Washing
The boss has finally noticed that employee retention and engagement are terrible. She heard that well-being is a big thing currently, so she has popped a couple of stand up desks in the office and is getting her mate to come in one lunchtime to do a yoga class. She has posted on Linked In about it. That'll sort it and get people working harder.
Quiet Thriving
Amara got one of the jobs that she applied for. After her bad experience in her last job, she decided to make a conscious effort to engage with her work. After taking a break between jobs, she set herself career goals, made friends at work, committed to herself that she will be open and honest if she is unhappy about something and she has set herself boundaries around work-life balance
Quiet Hiring
Bob also got a new job and has been with his new company for almost a year. They have great talent management practices, and identified that Bob has potential. He has been seconded to work on an exciting project and been given a pay increase, plus training to help him succeed. The company were able to resource the project quickly, with an employee they know and trust.
Boomerang Employees
Sue stayed in her new job for 6 months then went back to an employer she worked for a few years ago. They actively recruit former employees for the new perspectives and social capital that they can bring back from other workplaces. They also know that Boomerang Employees tend to be more satisfied and committed than external hires.
Workplace Buzzwords: Nothing New
These workplace buzzwords may be new, but the concepts have been around forever.
What kind of culture are you creating for your people and what impact is that having on attraction, retention, engagement and performance?
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments about any of the workplace buzzwords, how you have experienced them and what your organisation is doing in relation to them.
Are you losing valuable time or sleep over HR worries?
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