Hearts & Minds: How to define and own a cultural shift – the case of ‘quiet cracking’

The workplace lexicon has a new term. ‘Quiet cracking’, as in loss of motivation and happiness at work. It’s different from ‘quiet quitting’, which manifests itself in people doing the bare minimum and nothing more. Quiet quitting is intentional, a conscious decision to step back. Quiet cracking on the other hand sees the person still working hard, turning up for meetings, answering emails, hitting deadlines. On the outside all looks well; on the inside they are unhappy and finding it increasingly difficult to be energised and enthused. Their spark is disappearing, they’re experiencing a slow, emotional burnout.

Sounds familiar? It should. The phrase was coined by employee training platform TalentLMS – applause to them for displaying comms initiative and securing a blizzard of publicity. You see, get it right, produce a persuasive case, use easy, smart language, hit the spot timing-wise and strike a nerve, and it can be done.

They devised the description after conducting a workers’ survey. Over half, 54%, experienced unhappiness and lack of fulfilment at work, without overtly disengaging, while 20% said they felt that constantly.

There has always been job dissatisfaction but this is a current, rising phenomenon and follows 2022’s quiet quitting. Lack of job security and control are being held responsible. In the past, people could see a natural career path. Work hard, learn, show enthusiasm and initiative, get on with colleagues and customers, and, barring mishaps, you could go far. That progression is fast disappearing. The pandemic upset the order and now, advancing AI is bearing down heavily. Growth is uncertain and worries abound about being replaced by machines. People can no longer make the same internal assessments as to their prospects. ‘Employees may feel secure in their roles today, but ask them about tomorrow, and confidence drops sharply,’ said TalentLMS. Nor is it concentrated in one age-group, it’s prevalent across the workforce.

Unthinking and unfeeling managements do not help. Every time they boast about how they are implementing AI, how brilliant and transformative it is going to be, they are stoking negativity – among their own staff. They need to show more empathy and be alert as to how they’re sounding, what it is they are really saying and implying. Although, don’t forget, they too might be inwardly suffering similar anxieties.

Doing nothing, though, is not an option. Next comes ‘revenge quitting’, folks just walking out. Then, too late, they will be missed.

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.