What is conscious quitting?

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**Bababam** (1:04)
What is Conscious Quitting?
Thanks for asking. Following on from quiet quitting and quiet firing, conscious quitting is another work related term that's gone viral in recent times. It's based on the results of prominent surveys which have shown that people are increasingly prepared to walk away from a job if they feel their employer's values don't match theirs. For example, in February 2023, former Unilever Chief Executive Paul Polman reported on the findings of the Net Positive Employee Barometer. The survey of 4,000 UK and US based employees showed that many are worried about the future and want to work for companies who are doing something about it. That could be taking action on issues like gender equality or environmental challenges. Among the key conclusions, the survey results suggest that nearly half of all people would be prepared to quit their company if values didn't align. Indeed, a third of all employees said they had already done exactly that at some point in the past.
Which groups of people are most likely to be conscious quitters? The Net Positive Employee Barometer showed that these trends are even more prominent among millennials and members of Gen Z. So the general rule is that the younger you are, the more likely you are to consider conscious quitting. In fact, a top-up survey was conducted following the main one, focusing exclusively on Gen Z. It showed that new and future employees joining the workforce expect more from their employers than previous generations. Why has this phenomenon come to light now? It's difficult to have reliable factual data on why people leave their jobs, but a number of studies have shown that a lack of meaning at work is increasingly a factor. Since the COVID-19 pandemic came along, our relationship with work has evolved significantly. Many of us are questioning why we're in a job if it doesn't feel like it has any purpose. There's also ever-growing awareness around the global climate crisis to take into account. Many employees want to feel that their job is environmentally friendly. They think their company should take a strong stance and communicate their actions in environmental protection. Indeed, talk of climate quitting also got attention earlier in the year, when KPMG Research looked specifically into how environmental, social and governance factors influenced UK office worker employment decisions. The demographic trends were pretty similar to the Net Positive Employee Barometer, which comes as no surprise. How bad could the conscious quitting trend hurt companies? It's somewhat similar to the great resignation seen in the United States in 2021, after the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 50 million Americans handed in their notice. It seems workers are prepared to accept a lower salary in return for greater meaning and feeling appreciated. They feel that companies should follow that movement, even if it means sacrificing competitiveness and profit.
On the flip side, it's important for employees to carefully consider their choices before taking drastic action. Quoted by stylist.co.uk, London-based career expert Charlotte Davis advised potential conscious quitters to look deeper into what their company is doing for the environment or other important causes. It may be that things are going on under the surface, which you simply aren't aware about. There you have it.
Now you know what conscious quitting is. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.
Bababam.