19 Sep 2023 | Suzie Coen

Forget quiet quitting: meet loud quitting

The Media Leader Jobs

How can managers and employees approach loud quitting as a negotiation tool?

If 2022 was characterised by quiet quitting, 2023 is shaping up to be brasher as loud quitting elbows its way onto the scene.

It’s a step beyond quiet quitting, but like that trend, it doesn’t always refer to someone who’s actually quitting. At least, not immediately.

Think of loud quitting as a disengaged employee armed with a megaphone. It’s about making noise to try and negotiate what you want.

Although the practice of loud quitting is relatively new, the term has gained popularity recently. According to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report, nearly one in five employees now engages in loud quitting.

Like most workplace trends, loud quitting isn’t something that’s happened simultaneously at a moment in time — rather it’s a culmination of big forces and specific factors built over weeks, months and years.

Research suggests that the decision of employees now to noisily make people aware of their unhappiness is rooted in collective frustrations; the cost of living, insufficient pay rises, the push to get back to the office, burnout and toxic workplaces.

Many employees loud quit over their job’s expectations which speaks to a severe lack of preparation, transparency, resources and accommodations. But the biggest cause boils down to management, with bosses accounting for about 70% of the variance in team engagement.

Loud quitters see their managers as uncaring, preoccupied or too distant to sincerely care about employee problems.

Loud quitting can be seen as a negotiation tool –– used to open up the possibilities of promotion, pay raises, or even change in the work environment. But, of course, it needs to be executed extremely carefully.

And this is how you should approach it…

Be specific in your goals

Be clear on what it is you really want going into any negotiation conversation. Do you want extra training to help you develop? More responsibility? A pay rise or promotion?

Be prepared with evidence of your work and development, and focus on your achievements and work performance that would justify the next step in your career and why you deserve the advancement.

You’ll also need to prove how this would benefit the organisation if you were able to advance in your role.

On the whole, employers are more likely to negotiate in good faith if you make your case based on the merits that you bring to the business.

Be respectful

Telling everyone you’re unhappy and making no secret of the fact you’re looking elsewhere runs the risk of making you a disruptive and negative presence in the company, and will put off your employer from accommodating your goals.

The best way to loud quit is to do it directly with the people that matter––your bosses. These conversations should always be best held in private, and approached with respect and open-mindedness by both parties.

Raise your discontent with your managers clearly and let them know what you’re looking for and that you’re outgrowing your current pay or job role.

Be ready to go

You need to have thought the process through from start to finish — mainly, how far you’re willing to push the negotiation and where you’re willing to compromise on. If they don’t respond, it might be time to let your employer know that you’ve got a better offer.

Once it comes to this point, though, you had better be prepared to leave. Staying put after telling people you’re planning to leave will eventually damage your credibility and ability to negotiate in the future.

The expert advice: talk to your line manager before things get emotionally charged, without the threat of you leaving clouding discussions. Work is work. Situations are very rarely personal.

If you feel disrespected or undervalued, talk about it, don’t let it fester. Accept that it won’t always work. People inevitably resign. But you don’t have to quiet quit or loud quit.

Move on and use your energy to find the job you want with the company that actually respects you and pays you what you’re worth. Your first stop? Head for the Media Leader Job Board where you can browse hundreds of jobs right now.

Here are three hiring this week:

ITV

If career progression and autonomy at work is top of your wish list, check out the current opportunities available at ITV Jobs. The company prides itself on promoting individual thinking and and offers a wide range of resources, events and networks to help you develop your skills and progress your career at ITV.

From day one, you’ll have access to a wide range of on-the-job and workshop-based learning opportunities, including bespoke development for managers and power hour sessions focused on boosting your wellbeing, dealing with challenges and being productive.

Bauer Media

If a culture of inclusion in work is key for you, investigate the open roles (UX designers, analysts and global change managers) at Bauer Media.

The organisation’s mission statement “Belonging at Bauer” encapsulates its dual goals of being as representative as it can of the audiences it serves, and about creating a working environment where everyone feels able to bring their whole selves to work every day.

News UK

If you’re striving for a proper work-life balance this year, why not focus on companies such as News UK which offer exciting prospects and attractive flexible working opportunities.

The company states that people are at the centre of everything it does, and that it is committed to providing them with the support they need to thrive at work. Successful hires will be actively encouraged (like every employee) to discuss tailoring a hybrid work schedule that works for you and your team.