How I Was Being Quiet Fired
Something didn’t seem right
I tried to make a lateral move in my day job a while back.
I didn’t get the job, which was odd because I was qualified to do it. I had the experience. I was doing the same work but at a higher level too.
But they told me my productivity (a guy who wrote a productivity book) wasn’t good enough. I was baffled. I was caught off guard.
Shortly after not getting the job, I got a new boss. While going through an initial couple of meetings, I learned something disturbing.
My old boss kept notes and assumed I was slacking off or incompetent. I learned about a laundry list of things I wasn’t doing right but didn’t even know.
In our weekly check-ins, he never mentioned that I was falling short of my job objectives or not on track with onboarding.
My new boss is now a director.
We’ve all heard about quiet quitting.
But to make sure we are on the same page, here is what Investopedia says about quiet quitting:
Quiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of one’s job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. As such, it is something of a misnomer, since the worker doesn’t actually leave their position and continues to collect a salary.
I mention this because I could be accused of quiet quitting. I’m not going to mince words about it. I do my job. I work hard to do it well, yes. But I do not like to do different projects or work extra hours.
I have a family, other obligations, and a side hustle that I love and keeps me from losing my mind. So no, I don’t do extra for my job unless I need to.
However, in this situation, I was starting a new role. I had been learning it for some time with minimal engagement from my manager.
And apparently, I wasn’t doing it very well.
What is Quiet Firing?
After finding out what was happening with my previous manager, I shared the situation with a friend. I felt terrible that I was not doing well at my job but wasn’t being told.
My friend told me that I was probably ‘quiet fired.’ I couldn’t believe it when he tried to explain it to me. My day job has always been good to employees. This was not something I could fathom.
So, what is quiet firing? According to Annie Rosencrans, director of people and culture at HiBob, it’s this:
“It’s when managers have lost faith in the ability of their team members to do their jobs. Rather than giving them direct feedback or opportunities to develop new skills, they hope the person will self-select out.”
This describes my situation. What was worse to me was that it cost me a job opportunity. It was a job that would have potentially been better suited for me.
Yet, I didn’t get the opportunity. I got stuck where I was in a position that I didn’t like and was not well suited for at this time.
Had it not been for my old manager getting promoted, I may have quit. Thanks to my new manager, I at least know where I stand and what I need to do.
A Few Lessons Learned from this Experience
Maybe I had been too comfortable with my managers in the past. I have always been someone who knew where I stood in terms of performance.
Yet, in this instance, for the first time in eight years, I was blindsided. Sure, things have changed because we work from home. Yes, I work on a team spread out throughout the country.
But I have learned some valuable lessons to share:
- Ask more questions. Even if I thought I was on track based on conversations with other team members, I should have asked my manager: How is my progress? Am I on the way to where I should be with my job?
- Don’t be afraid to speak up. If there is anything I have learned, I should have spoken up about my concerns with the workload. I assumed that my workload was normal because my entire team was overloaded. It wasn’t.
- Get help if something doesn’t feel right. There is an HR department for a reason. Or maybe you have other connections in your company to help you navigate your concerns. Getting help is essential if you think you are being quiet fired.
Ultimately, you can take your job situation into your hands. If you don’t get help, shut down, or are told to keep quiet… maybe you should quit.
However, I think there are more options available to employees than we think. But it sucks when you have to use them, primarily when you work hard for your company.
Have you ever experienced quiet firing or something like it? Share in the responses below.
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J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack!
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