Ask an HR Pro: What Is Resenteeism?

A new workplace buzzword has emerged as the labor market cools down and employees are less confident about quitting their jobs: Resenteeism. What is resenteeism, and should HR and team leaders be concerned about it? Vickie Krolak, Senior HR Business Partner at iHire, shares her insights on this latest workplace trend.

What Is Resenteeism?

“Resenteeism at work is somewhat like quiet quitting, but taken to another level. Resenteeism is when employees are staying in their current roles because they don’t think they have any other options, and they aren’t keeping quiet about their resentment and dissatisfaction,” Krolak explained.

Job dissatisfaction can be contagious and contribute to a negative workplace culture, making resenteeism harmful if not addressed.

“And as you can imagine, a resentful employee is not a productive or cooperative employee that’ll move your company forward,” added Krolak.

How to Fix Resenteeism at Work

If you sense there’s resenteeism within your organization, don’t panic and assume you’ll have to start letting employees go – there are several actions you can take to resolve it.

Have Honest Conversations With Staff

“Start with open, judgment-free conversations with unsatisfied employees to find out what’s going on,” Krolak advised. “What is the source of their unhappiness at work? Is it their specific role, or is there something going on more broadly within their team or department? Is their workload stressing them out, or are they feeling unfulfilled or unchallenged?”

Understanding where their dissatisfaction is coming from is key to addressing it. If the employee isn’t willing to have a productive conversation or work with you on a resolution, parting ways may be your only option. Hopefully that won’t be the case, and you can move forward with a plan that’ll help your employee get on the right path.

“Getting honest and candid feedback from your staff, whether they’re happy or unhappy, all comes down to psychological safety. Ensure you foster this type of culture and that your leadership supports it,” Krolak added.

Create Personalized Career Paths

“One way to help an employee who’s feeling trapped or unfulfilled in their current role is to create a career path for them that clearly shows you support their career growth and demonstrates how they can progress at your company,” Krolak said. “If the employee is open to staying with your organization, this is a great strategy for reversing resenteeism.”

Career pathing should be a collaborative exercise as well. Find out what your employees’ goals are and how they envision their own growth. For example, you may be surprised to learn that a team member is interested in an entirely different department or wants to transition from a leader to an individual contributor but didn’t think they had the option to make a change.

“For career pathing to be effective, you need to know what your employee’s current skills and qualifications are, where they’d like to go next, and how both align with your company’s goals,” added Krolak. “That way, you can create a plan that benefits everyone.”

Reach Qualified, Career-Focused Talent

Prevent Burnout & Encourage Time Off

Quiet quitting came about as a way to avoid burnout and maintain work-life balance. Resenteeism takes hold when team members feel like avoiding burnout isn’t possible.

“Take a hard look at your workplace culture. Do you offer flexibility in work schedules or a generous PTO policy? Are breaks and days off encouraged? Do employees feel comfortable talking to their leaders when their work life is taking a toll on their home life? Again, a lot of this comes down to employee/manager relationships and psychological safety. Maintaining work-life balance should also be demonstrated by your leaders and managers,” Krolak said.

You can also get ahead of burnout before it turns into resenteeism by keeping an eye out for changes in performance, behaviors, engagement, and other areas. Train your managers on how to be effective coaches and consider offering support from Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or other resources outside of your organization.

Increase Recognition & Appreciation

Reversing resenteeism may also be as simple as expressing appreciation and gratitude more frequently to your employees and recognizing their efforts.

“When someone feels truly valued and appreciated, they’re far less likely to be dissatisfied in their job, even during challenging times,” Krolak said.

Keep in mind that not everyone wants to be recognized in the same way. Some employees love the spotlight, while others are motivated by private and personal kudos.

“If you have a team member who wants to be recognized publicly and you’re only saying ‘thank you’ to them in passing here and there, resentment could creep in. Get to know each of your team members and how they like to receive praise for a job well done,” Krolak continued.

Though the term “resenteeism” may be new, employee dissatisfaction and disengagement are ongoing challenges HR and team leaders have always faced and should always be mindful of. When you proactively address resenteeism, you’re not only protecting your organization from workplace toxicity but also helping a team member find meaning and value in their work again.

Get more expert advice in our Ask an HR Pro series and explore our library for additional employee engagement tips and best practices.