Coasting
What to do about an employee doing the bare minimum
Start by deciding whether there is a problem at all: someone who does the job well and goes home on time is keeping the deal, not breaking it. If the work itself falls short, or they used to care and stopped, ask what changed, in private and out of curiosity rather than accusation. People coast when the work stopped meaning anything, nobody noticed their effort, or they no longer see a future there, and each of those can be talked about.
How managers put it
- “He does exactly what's asked and not one thing more.”
- “She used to be my go-to person. Now she's just clocking in and out.”
- “Is this quiet quitting, and can I do anything about it?”
What to do
1.Separate the job from your hopes
Write down what the role actually requires. If they meet it, the conversation is about growth and interest, not performance. If they do not, it is an underperformance conversation with specific gaps.
2.Look for the moment it changed
Were they passed over, taken off a project they liked, given a new manager, or left a long time without anyone saying thank you? Disengagement usually has a start date.
3.Ask, and listen to the answer
"You used to be first to jump on new things, and lately that's changed. I'm not upset, I want to understand. What's going on?" Then let the silence sit until they fill it.
4.Offer something real
A new responsibility, a skill they want to learn, more say in how the work is done, or a straight answer about pay or promotion. Do not offer what you cannot deliver.
5.Notice the effort when it comes back
If they step up, say so, specifically and soon. Many people who coast stopped trying because the extra effort went unnoticed.
Where LVL Up helps
Development goals they choose
Set a goal with them for something they want to get better at, with an owner, a due date and progress you can both see.
Recognition tied to your values
Recognize effort in the app against a company value. It takes a minute, the person sees it, and it records that someone noticed.
A 1:1 agenda both of you add to
A shared agenda lets them raise things before the meeting, which some people find easier than saying it out loud across a desk.
Career paths and a skills matrix on Growth
On the Growth plan, career paths and a skills matrix show what a next step could look like, which is often the missing piece.
What it does not do
LVL Up does not measure effort, track hours or activity, or tell you who has disengaged. It does not monitor screens, email or messages. It gives you a structure for the conversation, the goals you agree, and a place to recognize the effort that comes back.
Common questions
Is doing the bare minimum a performance problem?
Only if the minimum falls short of what the role requires. If they meet the job as defined, you have an engagement question worth asking about, but it is not grounds for discipline.
What is quiet quitting?
It usually means doing the job as defined and nothing extra: no unpaid overtime, no volunteering, no going above. Some of it is healthy boundaries, and some of it is disengagement worth a conversation.
How do I motivate an employee who has checked out?
Find out what changed, and ask what would make the work worth caring about again. Recognition, growth and a sense of progress move most people more than pressure does.
Should I threaten consequences?
Not for meeting the job. Threats push a coasting person towards the door, while a direct, curious conversation has a real chance of bringing them back.
Related:
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