Reviving the Quiet Workforce: Recognition and Rewards as Drivers of Re-engagement

The phenomenon of quiet quitting, where employees perform only the minimum required without formally resigning, has raised significant concerns across various industries. In the post-pandemic era, this trend highlights deeper issues such as workplace disengagement, burnout, and a disconnection between employee expectations and organisational practices. A key strategy to address this challenge is the effective implementation of recognition and rewards. This chapter explores how recognition and reward mechanisms can counter disengagement by drawing on Self-determination Theory, which emphasises autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and Equity Theory, which focuses on employees’ perceptions of fairness in the effort-reward balance. Recent discussions in talent management indicate that generic or outdated reward systems do not resonate with today’s diverse and purpose-driven workforce. Emerging research shows that personalised, timely, and values-based recognition can significantly enhance morale, loyalty, and productivity. Through a synthesis of contemporary literature, this chapter proposes a redefined human resource (HR) approach tailored for the quiet quitting workforce. The anticipated contribution is a practical, theory-informed framework for recognition and rewards that can reignite engagement and foster a thriving workplace culture in response to this growing trend.