We started with Quiet Quitting. Then we had The Great Resignation. This was followed by Bare-minimum Monday, not to mention Quiet Firing and Quiet Hiring.
Now I’ve just gotten myself up to speed with the latest buzzword, Quittok. It’s when you film yourself on the sly resigning or getting fired… don’t ask me why. I’m a Millennial with Gen X rising and a Boomer moon, so TikTok is still really new to me, and I cannot fathom why I would want to film myself resigning (or getting fired, for that matter). To me these are deeply private moments.
Today I read an article talking about the upcoming Flexidus.
Yes, you read that correctly, Flexidus, a combination of flexible work and exodus!
Essentially this article was telling employers to watch out, because everyone will leave an organisation (here’s when exodus comes into play) if they are not offered flexible working arrangements (flexi’s time to shine).
Whilst as an experienced recruiter, manager and employer, I have absolutely no doubt that there will be some (emphasis on this word) candidates who will choose not to take up a new opportunity if the flexibility on offer does not suit their needs. However, do I think we will see an exodus? No, I do not.
What I do believe, and I am seeing each day, is that conversations between employer and employee around flexible working arrangements vary. And in most cases, work out well to suit both parties.
In our constant need to define every change in the workplace or the employment market with some buzzy catchphrase we may be overlooking the crux of the issues at hand.
Let’s take Quiet Quitting, for example. Was there really a large cohort of employees doing the absolute bare minimum in a malicious way? Instead, were we simply witnessing an entire workforce that was recovering from COVID lockdowns and trying to reestablish some sense of normality in their lives? There’s also a case for just plain ol’ burnout (damn it, I’ve used a buzzy word, but it really does serve it’s purpose here!) from the craziness of the past two years.
Perhaps also in this case, both observations can be true. But when we insist on labelling them with their own hashtags that are ‘trending’ on social media, it does feel like we are destined never get to what the real issues driving such behaviour could be.
I believe that these words are doing more damage than good, and seem to be designed to create a divide between employer and employee.
Perhaps it’s the idealist in me, but why can’t we all just get along and have open and honest conversations with each other?
Do my current flexible working arrangements suit my needs? Yes, but not entirely. Does that mean I’ll be seeking Flexidus? No. Will I go and talk with my manager about it? Yes. Will we come to a solution that works for both of us? I have no doubt. Will I stop buying into these ridiculous buzzwords? A resounding YES!
What buzzwords have you heard in the workplace of late? What’s some of your favourite and least favourite catchphrases?
Candice Lewis
My name is Candice and I am the Manager at the Interchange Bench. Feel free to reach out for a chat about temporary and contract staffing, workforce management or any general HR and recruitment matters. I’d love to tell you a little bit more about what my team and I do, and how we might be able to partner with you in the future. I always have great candidates ready and available to work!
Candice is highly customer focussed, with solid experience in a range of professional, office support and administration roles covering a broad variety of sectors. She compliments her recruitment industry experience with over 20 years experience in professional service roles. Candice has worked on a diverse range of major client accounts, and has recruited and managed temporary, contract and permanent staff. As Manager of the Interchange Bench, she manages the consulting team and provided resources on large recruitment projects, designed and facilitated assessments centres, screened and shortlisted a large volume of candidates, planned and overseen weekly and monthly rosters.