Employees Are ‘Quiet Cracking’ Under Workplace Pressure

It’s not a surprise that workers are feeling unsteady about their professional prospects. Managers are under significant strain, employees are increasingly disengaged at work, and preventable turnover continues to impact organizations’ cultures and bottom lines.

While “quiet quitting” was the buzzword about workplace disengagement in 2023, the concept today has turned into “quiet cracking”—signaling that employees are feeling unstable and fragile amid the continued pressure from the top.

Quiet cracking is a persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance, and an increased desire to quit, according to a report from TalentLMS. This feeling is fueled by a tight jobs market, an uncertain economy, and a lack of career growth, as well as fears about outdated skills and emerging threats from artificial intelligence.

Quiet cracking is the erosion of workplace satisfaction from within, the report noted. It doesn’t manifest in exhaustion like burnout, and it doesn’t immediately reflect in performance metrics, but it can have long-term effects, leading to disengagement, decreased productivity, and attrition.

“While job markets fluctuate and businesses adapt to post-pandemic realities, many workers are quietly struggling,” the report said. “Our latest research reveals over half of employees experience some level of quiet cracking. And one in five say it’s a frequent or constant state.”

A survey from TalentLMS found that less than half of employees rarely or never experience persistent workplace unhappiness, while 34 percent experience it occasionally, 14 percent frequently, and 6 percent constantly.

A big factor driving this workplace distress is overall uncertainty about the job market and other global factors. While 82 percent of the employees TalentLMS surveyed said they feel secure in their current job, only 62 percent said they feel secure and confident in their future with the company. Plus, 18 percent are unsure if they have a long-term future where they are now.

“The disconnect we found in this data between overall job security and how employees feel about their future with their company indicates something that should alarm leaders—that people are not worried about losing their jobs but they don’t really feel like the employer-employee relationship is going to last,” the report said.

Despite tense or unsatisfactory conditions, many employees are clinging to their current roles—a trend Korn Ferry and others dubbed “job hugging.” Employees view the job market as treacherous, so instead they are staying put, even if that stalls their career development and personal satisfaction.

That perception can run contrary to actual conditions, especially in the security industry, says Kathy Lavinder, executive director of SI Placement, a recruitment firm specializing in security roles. Even in periods of uncertainty, demand for security expertise rarely flags, she says. But every individual will need to make a calculated decision of whether to stick with the devil they know or start searching for a job that will be more fulfilling.

“Don’t hug the job so tightly that you’re suffocating yourself,” Lavinder tells Security Management. “Hold onto it, value it, respect it, know that you’re in a good situation, but also know that you have options. If you’re a problem-solver, if you’re that person who can make a difference, if you’re highly motivated and productive and you can articulate all of that in your résumé and your interviews, then you’re going to be just fine.”

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Employees are also most concerned with economic uncertainty, workload and job expectations, and poor leadership or unclear company direction, all of which contribute to a sense of job insecurity.

What makes a difference for quiet cracking employees?

Training. Employees who have not received any training in the last year were 140 percent more likely to feel job insecure.

Managers. For employees who said they are experiencing quiet cracking, 47 percent said managers do not listen to their concerns.

Recognition. Only 26 percent of employees who said they frequently or constantly experience quiet cracking feel valued or recognized at work. Overall, 21 percent of all employees surveyed said they don’t feel valued or recognized for their contributions at work.

Workload rebalancing. Nearly 30 percent of employees surveyed said their workload is unmanageable, and 15 percent said they do not clearly understand their role expectations.

For individuals currently searching for new roles, Lavinder counsels them to be persistent and believe in themselves, even in periods of instability.

“The worst thing that you can do is telegraph that uncertainty when you’re looking for a job,” she says. “If you start to appear needy, desperate, rattled, those are not attributes that employers are looking for. They need people who can perform in all kinds of environments.”

Meanwhile, to avoid landing in a new position that also contributes to quiet cracking, Lavinder strongly recommends doing in-depth research about prospective employers, including reading unvarnished reviews of the organization on sites like Glassdoor. Target companies that have positive cultures and steer clear of ones that appear to view people as easily replaced assets—just a body to fill a position.

“Make sure that you go somewhere where the culture is compatible with your style, your needs, your desires—I think you’ll be much better off,” she adds.