'When employees know that their contributions are noticed and appreciated, they're a lot more likely to stay engaged and committed to their organization'
In an era where social media posts can go viral, revenge quitting is becoming a growing concern for employers.
Revenge quitting—a form of protest against workplace frustrations such as toxic environments, lack of appreciation, and unmet expectations—can be especially damaging when publicly shared, warns one expert.
"Over the past year or so, we're seeing a lot more posts on social media about people sharing their revenge quitting experience," says Anne Sophie Bolduc, director at Altrum Recognition, in an interview with HRD Canada.
Here are four signs that show that your employees are unhappy, according to a previous report.
Bolduc says that while it is difficult to determine whether revenge quitting is more common today than in the past, it has certainly gained significant public attention.
"When employees quit abruptly out of frustration, the effect goes way beyond just losing one person. There is definitely a ripple effect across the organization," she explains.
One of the biggest concerns for employers is the financial burden associated with high turnover.
"You have to spend time, effort, and money recruiting and onboarding new employees, training new employees. And that in itself is quite expensive,” says Bolduc.
Beyond financial costs, sudden resignations can result in lost institutional knowledge and damage an employer’s brand.
“We do have Glassdoor reviews. We have forums, online social media posts. Stories of people revenge quitting going viral can really harm an employer's brand,” she says.
Revenge quitting can also create instability for employees who remain, affecting morale and productivity, she says.
Glassdoor previously reported that there will be a wave of revenge quitting coming employers’ way.
While issues such as toxic work culture and low pay can drive employees to quit, Bolduc identifies lack of appreciation and unmet expectations as two of the most critical factors.
"When the expectations are not clear… [or] if you're communicating something with an employee, and then you're not necessarily consistent, or they have reached every milestone possible that they could have reached, and they're not receiving that promotion, that bonus, that could be really critical in an environment where an employee is already frustrated," she says.
This type of inconsistency can lead to "a buildup of frustration," she adds.
"Beyond that, just feeling unseen and not appreciated is also a big factor that contributes to that buildup of resentment and frustration that ultimately leads to revenge quitting."
Many employees are still considering quitting their job, according to a previous report.
Employers can use employee recognition to address revenge quitting, but it needs to be sincere, spontaneous, personalized and precise, says Bolduc:
Sincere: Recognition must be authentic. "You could just say, ‘Hey, thank you for going the extra mile on project XYZ.’ But if I actually didn't go the extra mile, that's not going to resonate with me. It's not going to feel authentic or sincere.”
Spontaneous: Appreciation should be given in a timely manner: "You don't wait a week until you recognize or you give that appreciation to your employee."
Personalized: Avoid generic recognition: "It needs to be non-generic in a way. So if you keep doing or sharing generic recognition, it's going to lose its impact over time."
Precise: Recognition should highlight specific contributions. A vague "Thank you for being a great colleague," for example, will not have the same impact as a detailed acknowledgment of a worker’s achievement.
