How 'quiet firing' and managing out can backfire

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Chris Manning, people and change expert, comments on the repercussions of ‘quiet firing’ in an article by Anna Devine in FT Ignites.

Chris explains, “quiet firing is mostly linked to performance management concerns within toxic cultures.”

Adding, "Quiet firing, like quiet quitting, is a new term but is something that has always gone on. It is bad for the individual and bad for the company, bringing significant costs, and [is] damaging to the employer brand.”

Chris goes on to say, “In asset management, being "managed out" could be confused with quiet firing as it is often done quietly, according to experts.

However, it is different in that managing out is generally collaborative – a managed termination of someone's employment, which could be due to various reasons including cost cutting, performance or behaviour.”

Chris explains, “In a situation where employees are handing in their notice because of an unpleasant work life, stringent controls in the hiring process, creating a strengths-based organisation and embedding a high-performing culture, underpinned with effective leadership, can prevent a lot of managing out and quiet firing in the future.”

He adds, “companies should hire people for their strengths and support them to play to those strengths, and if that is not happening, they should review their approach to performance management. Companies need to invest in their leaders to make sure those who manage people know how to do it and can identify and effectively address performance and talent problems.”

Chris shares, “Good line managers can use tools ranging from sponsorship and empowerment, to training and enablement to help employees perform, that way they avoid having to be the bad cop in a quiet firing.”

He concludes, “A high performance culture means everyone is clear about expectations and means performance management can quickly identify those who are not measuring up. Without alignment to a positive, purpose driven culture focused on performance, toxic behaviour flourishes and ends up with employees having to be removed.”