Early Warning Signs of Silent Quitting Among Your Employees

31 July 2025 Read by 2637 persons

 

 

In recent months, a subtle yet worrying phenomenon has been growing in companies: silent quitting. Unlike a classic resignation, where the employee leaves the company, silent quitting is a gradual and invisible disengagement. The employee remains physically present… but detaches mentally and emotionally from their job.

 

Why is this a major issue for recruiters and managers?

An employee silently quitting:

  • Impacts team productivity and the quality of service provided.

  • Increases medium-term turnover, as they often end up leaving.

  • Can negatively influence the work atmosphere and lead to other departures.

Identifying the early warning signs of this disengagement allows for action before it's too late.

 

The main signals to watch out for

1. Gradual decline in commitment

  • Decrease in initiative and involvement in projects.

  • Lack of new ideas or minimal participation in meetings.

2. Changes in behavior

  • Isolation from the team.

  • Reduction in interactions with managers or colleagues.

  • Lack of interest in collective objectives.

3. Decreasing performance indicators

  • Delays in deliverables or deteriorating work quality.

  • Implicit refusal to go beyond the strict minimum of their tasks.

4. Emotional signals

  • Increase in complaints or criticisms, even subtle ones.

  • More negative attitude towards the company or management decisions.

 

How to act on these signals?

1. Open a kind dialogue
An individual meeting to understand the real cause of the disengagement (overload, lack of recognition, search for meaning…).

2. Re-evaluate working conditions
Review workload, offer more flexibility or value the efforts made.

3. Strengthen recognition and internal communication
Regular feedback, transparency in decisions and a sense of belonging can reverse the trend.

4. Train managers
Frontline managers are the first to be able to detect and prevent silent quitting. Making them aware of these signals is therefore crucial.

 

The role of recruiters

Even if silent quitting is an internal phenomenon, recruiters have a key role:

  • Relay candidate feedback on the employer brand (many early warning signs are visible from the hiring process).

  • Collaborate with HR to understand the root causes and improve attractiveness and retention.

 Silent quitting never happens overnight. By detecting early warning signs and reacting quickly, companies can avoid costly departures and strengthen the loyalty of their talent.

 

Read also: How to react to the resignation of a key employee