Meeting Employees Where They Are At

Last week I blogged about ‘quiet quitting’ and how it can affect workplace behavior. In today’s blog, I examine the concept of ‘quiet cracking’ and how it relates to quiet quitting, job performance and job satisfaction.

Reviewing ‘Quiet Quitting’

Quiet quitting refers to employees who disengage from their roles for an extended period before eventually leaving their positions. This trend is also known as silent quitting, silent resignation, soft quitting, and quiet resignation. Unlike more overt resignations, where employees provide formal notice, quietly quitting typically involves gradual disinvestment in work tasks, reduced communication with colleagues and supervisors, and a general lack of enthusiasm for the job. Millennial and Generation Z workers have been identified as being quiet quitters in some circumstances.

According to a study by Gallup, quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce. Many quiet quitters fit its definition of being “not engaged” at work -- people who do the minimum required and are psychologically detached from their job. Gallup found a decline in engagement and employee satisfaction among remote Gen Z and younger millennials – those below age 35.

According to research by LLC, when quiet quitters decide to do the bare minimum in their roles, they’re often pushing some of their responsibilities off on others, whether they realize it or not. Naturally, that isn’t going to go over well with some of the quiet quitter’s colleagues. In the LLC report, 62% of employees surveyed said they are annoyed by the trend of quiet quitting, with 57% stating that they had to take on extra work because a colleague had quietly quit.

What is ‘Quiet Cracking’

Talent LMS researchers have dubbed ‘Quiet Cracking’ and describe it as a persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance, and an increased desire to quit. In a survey of 1,000 U.S. employees, more than half (54%) said they have experienced some level of quiet cracking, and one in five reported experiencing it frequently or constantly.

Unlike burnout or quiet quitting, quiet cracking isn’t readily apparent, which makes it more difficult for business leaders to ignore. According to TalentLMS in its publication, “Quiet Cracking: A Hidden Workplace Crisis,” there can be steep costs of ignoring early signs of disengagement, which could lead to reduced performance and increased turnover risk. Employees so affected are less likely to take on extra responsibilities, share ideas with team members, or attend company/team events.

Quiet Cracking may not be obvious at first, but over time it can wear down team energy, connection, and trust,” said Nikhil Arora, CEO of Epignosis, the parent company of TalentLMS. “But the solution isn’t complicated. When people feel stuck, unheard, or unsure about their future, that’s when disengagement starts to occur. Giving employees space to grow — through learning, developing skills, and real conversations — is one of the most effective ways to turn things around. It not only shows people they matter but helps them rediscover a sense of purpose and forward momentum, something we all seek at work and in life.”

A survey by TalentLMS asked employees a range of questions including how secure they feel in their current jobs, whether their manager listens to their concerns, and whether their employer has provided training in the past 12 months. Key findings include:

• 29% report unmanageable workloads.
• 20% say their manager doesn’t listen to their concerns.
• 42% haven’t received any employer-provided training in the last 12 months.
• Employees without training are 140% more likely to feel job insecure.
• Quiet cracking employees are 68% less likely to feel valued and recognized at work.

The research also found that, while 82% of employees feel secure in their current roles, this confidence drops to 62% when asked about their future with their company — revealing a major disconnect between present stability and long-term commitment, according to the survey.

What Can Employers Do?

TalentLMS urges organizations to take these five simple but effective actions to combat this trend:

1. Survey employees: HR and leadership should know if their employees are suffering from persistent feelings of unhappiness; knowing is the first step.
2. Empower managers with empathy: Listening, regular check-ins, and recognition can dramatically improve employee sentiment.
3. Double down on learning and development: Employees who receive regular training are more likely to feel confident, engaged and valued.
4. Recognize contributions frequently: Low-cost recognition programs can deliver a high impact on employee morale.
5. Clarify expectations and manage workloads: When people know what’s expected and workloads are balanced, disengagement drops.

Building Enthusiasm

How can employers prevent quiet cracking from becoming a widespread phenomenon? Writing for CNBC, Eric Johnson suggests that they should offer employees more meaningful opportunities to connect with coworkers.

It is up to leaders to create workplace experiences in a way that is appealing to Gen Z and millennials, without taking away what works with respect to work product. Employees should be given more ownership over their work. As the CNBC survey suggests, "by creating an environment where everyone can feel like a decision-maker, employees will feel more invested in their work." By dealing with these issues early, "business leaders can develop a workforce that is happier and more productive, boosting the bottom line while increasing retention."

Meeting Employees Where They Are At

Perhaps you have heard the expression to ‘meet someone where they are at.’ It’s used in teaching frequently. I have tried over my 40+ years as an educator to do just that. It enhances the learning experience for students and engages them in the learning process. It means to recognize student needs and what might motivate them to succeed and then developing a curriculum to do just that. It is, of course, more complicated than that. But we can learn more about meeting needs and expectations by looking by looking at those of employees.

According to AI, meeting someone where they are “means understanding and accepting a person's current state, including their beliefs, values, emotions, and readiness for change, without imposing your own expectations or judgments. It involves a focus on empathy, active listening, and a willingness to connect with someone on their own terms.”

There is a lot to like in the AI definition. However, as a teacher we can’t dismiss our expectations or judgments, and neither should employers when looking at where to meet their employees. The point is we should develop judgments and expectations after considering where employees are and how we might motivate them to change behavior and performance.

There is no doubt that the work habits and expectations of Gen Z in the workplace are different from previous generations, even millennials. This is not surprising. Each generation brings something different to the table. It’s up to the employer to meet them where they are without compromising the values that drive an organization. This is an essential requirement to ward off the temptation for quiet quitting and quiet cracking. 

Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on June 10, 2025. You can learn more about Steve’s activities by checking out his website at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for his newsletter.