The pandemic saw millions of Americans quit their jobs in a trend known as “The Great Resignation,” and those that hung on engaged in “quiet quitting.” However, many who sought greener pastures are now experiencing “shift shock.”
What is shift shock?
For those employees who stuck around and did not join the “Great Resignation,” many took advantage of the numerous job openings and potential opportunities created by the mass exodus.
Because many companies found themselves struggling to fill vacancies, some had no choice but to offer higher salaries and significant benefits to lure top candidates. As a result, lots of people jumped ship.
A new term has emerged as workers quit their jobs to take advantage of these opportunities: “Shift shock.”
“Shift shock” describes the emotional seismic disturbance that occurs after the impact sinks in that the new opportunity was not what the person wanted – and, in a worst-case scenario, not what they signed up for, Yahoo reports. In other words, the job isn’t quite the way the employer described it.
Instead of being elated, the worker is taken aback, surprised, or burdened with regret as they discover the position and/or company is very different from what they were led to believe.
Sometimes the employer, realizing the strengths of the new hire, might even change that person’s role.
Some recruiting experts say employers are so desperate for staff that they purposely mislead candidates to fill the role. They’re hoping that the salary and benefits alone might encourage the new hire to stick around, despite being misled.
From the Great Resignation to Quiet Quitting to Shift Shock
The mass exodus from the workforce over the last two years was dubbed The Great Resignation. In August of 2021, a record 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs, the highest in 21 years, according to statistics from the Labor Department, CNBC reported. September topped that at 4.4 million, then in November, it climbed even higher with 4.5 million Americans voluntarily leaving their jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Great Resignation hasn’t stopped, either. Several studies indicate that in each month of 2022, on average, roughly 4 million Americans quit their jobs, Zippia reported.
Leading the careers that workers abandoned were food service and retail, followed by healthcare and social assistance.
Quiet quitting
“Quiet quitting” is another recent trend in employment that is making the rounds on social media by people claiming to be engaging in the practice.
Quiet quitting refers to a worker doing the minimum requirements of their job while putting in no extra effort, time, or enthusiasm. It means no more staying late, showing up early, or attending any non-mandatory meetings, Investopedia reported.
Many employers feel it’s better for such employees to actually quit, as their unwillingness to go the extra mile increases the burden on their colleagues to take on the extra work instead, the Harvard Business Review reported.
