Say Goodbye to Quiet Quitting and Help Employees Thrive
While it may have been a buzzphrase in 2021, companies and their employees are ready to regain balance and purpose together, putting “quiet quitting” and burnout behind them. Quiet quitters are the ones who aren't engaged at work: they do the minimum required and are psychologically detached from their job. This describes half of the U.S. workforce, says Jim Harter, chief scientist at Gallup.
The recent drop in engagement comes from a lack of opportunities to learn and grow, not feeling cared about, and a waning connection to the organization's mission or purpose — signaling a growing disconnect between employees and their employers, Harter says. Younger employees saw generations before them grow accustomed to 12-hour workdays that left them feeling exhausted and resentful — something they don't intend to emulate.
But now, more workers are rejecting the idea of going above and beyond to the point of exhaustion to achieve success. They seek a happy medium where they can feel supported and fulfilled through their work. Company performance improves when employees are retained, and for them to stay, they need to feel that their work matters.
Workplace food culture plays a crucial role in retention. Satisfying food options contribute to employee well-being and create a sense of community and connection among your people. Our food solutions, like Good Eating Company, Nourish and Foodee, create moments in the day where employees can come together, connect and recharge, which can lead to improved job satisfaction and productivity.
By offering a variety of meal options and catering to employees' needs for convenience as well as healthful food, employers can show that they value their employees' well-being and are committed to fostering a collaborative work culture.
Working on Purpose
When company values match employee values, employees are also more likely to be engaged and find purpose. More than 75% of employees consider it very important to work for a company with defined core values, according to research from iHire.
We prioritize sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives that align with our employees' values, helping them feel fulfilled through their day-to-day work. We believe that we have a responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint and contribute to the communities where we operate. To learn more about our goals, see our Better Tomorrow 2025 road map.
Employers can also help their people find purpose at work by encouraging them to seek out and participate in skill training and career advancement opportunities. When they feel like they're improving, employees are more likely to feel motivated and engaged.
Learning and development are taking on greater importance as employees seek more from their companies than just a paycheck. The top three drivers of a great workplace culture are opportunities to learn and grow, a feeling of belonging, and organizational values, according to LinkedIn's 2022 Workplace Learning report.
Organizations that shift to skills-based planning have a unique chance to catalyze learning culture and capitalize on emerging trends — especially the convergence of learning, talent acquisition, talent development, and the red-hot rise of internal mobility, the report says.
Build Your Culture
Companies vary in their approaches to taking time off, whether they offer a set number of earned vacation days per year or have an unlimited vacation policy. Employers can help employees thrive by encouraging them to find the balance between work and life: taking those vacation days, participating in volunteer activities they care about and clocking out each day to focus on themselves and the people around them.
Employers can also normalize the practice of taking time off for mental health. More than 60% of workers in a 2021 OnePoll survey said they feel their boss would judge them if they requested time off for mental health care. An even greater proportion of workers — 70% — said they’d rather take an entire day off work rather than a few hours, just to avoid explaining why they're taking time off, according to the survey.
Employees expect more than ever from their companies, and there are many ways to help them thrive, both in and out of the office. At Sodexo, we care about every employee's training, development and well-being.
Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater because we believe our everyday actions have a big impact. You belong in a company that allows you to act with purpose and thrive in your own way.
Employers have the power to create a workplace that supports their employees' well-being. We provide food service solutions for employers across the world that satisfy and fuel their people. We're ready to partner with you and help you explore what's next:
- Good Eating Company sets the standard in farm-to-office dining experiences personalized for your employees and thoughtfully integrated with sustainability top of mind.
- Foodee provides digital ordering of meals from the best local restaurants delivered for your meeting, happy hour or workplace celebration.
- Nourish is a health-driven approach to menu creation, created on-site or delivered.
- For Five Coffee Roasters brings handcrafted beverages sourced from coffee producers around the world, plus enticing entrees and to-go snacks in a sophisticated setting.
- Our Everyday app simplifies mobile and kiosk food orders and features a digital wallet, plenty of personalization, scan-and-go capabilities and convenient order delivery.
At Sodexo, we believe that nourishing your people is just the beginning. Learn how we're raising the bar.