Dive Brief:
- Following the “quiet quitting” and “quiet firing” phenomena, researchers at TalentLMS are highlighting another silent crisis: “quiet cracking.” The term describes employee disengagement, tanked performance and plans to quit.
- 1 in 3 of survey-takers said they experience workplace unhappiness “occasionally,” whereas 1 in 5 said they experience workplace unhappiness “constantly” or “frequently.”
- While about half of employees surveyed said they aren’t experiencing “quiet cracking,” 54% said they feel that way to some degree, according to the survey.
Dive Insight:
The root cause of quiet cracking may be workers feeling insecure in their current jobs, the report indicated. This lack of confidence could be the result of a lack of training, which makes workers feel insecure in their role, according to the data. Employees who said they hadn’t received any training in the past year were also 140% more likely to feel insecure about their jobs.
Researchers also outlined a lack of connection as a factor in quiet cracking. Employees say they are experiencing what researchers called “managerial disconnect,” with 47% of employees experiencing quiet cracking saying that their managers do not listen to their concerns.
Ultimately, TalentLMS researchers called this phenomenon “less visible than mass resignations” à la The Great Resignation, “yet no less damaging.”
Back in 2022, worker advocates and people leaders alike were asking employers and employees to meet in the middle and ensure work-life balance for all involved amid the rise of “quiet quitting,” or workers opting to perform the bare minimum.
Meanwhile, other companies reportedly resorted to quiet firing, which is when managers start to phase workers out of their roles — potentially in response to quiet quitting.
Nikhil Arora, CEO of Talent LMS’ parent company Epignosis said that the solution to fixing quiet cracking is simple.
“When people feel stuck, unheard, or unsure about their future, that’s when disengagement creeps in. Giving employees space to grow — through learning, skilling, and real conversations — is one of the most powerful ways to turn things around,” Arora said in a statement.
Not only does giving employees this space show workers that they matter, Arora said, “but [it] helps them rediscover a sense of purpose and forward momentum, something we all seek at work and in life.”
