Quiet Quitting Is Not a Trend. It’s a Culture Signal.
“Quiet quitting” became a global workplace phrase in 2022. It describes employees who fulfil their job description but withdraw discretionary effort. They stop going the extra mile. They emotionally detach while remaining professionally present.
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The Rise of Quiet Quitting in the Workplace
Searches for quiet quitting have surged globally. But the term itself is misleading.
Quiet quitting is not about employees doing less. It is about employees disengaging emotionally while remaining in their roles. They meet expectations — but they no longer invest extra energy, creativity or commitment.
According to Gallup in its State of the Global Workplace Report 2023–2024, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged, while disengagement costs the global economy approximately $8.8 trillion annually. Gallup further reports that managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement.
This is not a generational weakness. It is a leadership and culture design issue.
What Is Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting refers to employees who:
- Fulfil their formal job responsibilities
- Withdraw discretionary effort
- Avoid additional initiatives
- Protect boundaries due to burnout or misalignment
In engagement research, this group is classified as “not engaged”.
For organisations, the consequences include:
- Lower productivity
- Reduced innovation
- Increased turnover risk
- Weakened employer brand
- Declining customer experience
Quiet quitting is not resignation. It is a silent disengagement.
Is Quiet Quitting a Gen Z Problem?
The narrative often points to Gen Z in the workplace. But the data tells a more strategic story.
The Deloitte Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2024 found that around 9 in 10 Gen Zs and millennials say purpose at work is essential to job satisfaction and wellbeing.
This generation is not rejecting effort. They are rejecting:
- Lack of clarity
- Poor leadership
- Burnout without recognition
- Career stagnation
- Misalignment between stated values and lived behaviour
When organisations fail to deliver clarity, growth and meaning, engagement drops — across all generations.
The Real Causes of Employee Disengagement
Declining Role Clarity
Gallup shows decreasing agreement with the statement: “I know what is expected of me at work.” When clarity fades, engagement follows.
Underdeveloped Leaders
If leaders drive 70% of engagement variance, disengaged leaders multiply disengagement.
Recognition Gaps
Consistent recognition is one of the strongest predictors of engagement and retention.
Weak Growth Pathways
Deloitte’s research highlights career anxiety as a major stress factor among younger employees.
Purpose That Stays on Slides
If purpose does not shape decisions, employees experience disconnect.
How to Reverse Quiet Quitting: A Culture Transformation Approach
Reverse the Leadership Question
Instead of asking:
“How do we make people care more?”
Ask:
“What in our system makes caring hard?”
This shift alone changes the entire conversation.
Upgrade Managers into EPIC Leaders
EPIC Leadership means leaders who:
- Empower through clarity
- Lead with purpose
- Inspire through energy
- Coach for growth
- Weekly 1:1s become energy check-ins.
- Recognition becomes immediate and behavioural.
- Development becomes continuous.
Make Purpose
Operational
Purpose must influence:
- Strategic decisions
- Behavioural standards
- Promotion criteria
- Customer experience
When purpose drives behaviour, engagement becomes natural.
Build a Clear Culture Blueprint
Engagement increases when employees feel:
- Clear about expectations
- Capable through development
- Connected to meaning
Culture cannot be left to chance. It must be designed in a clear and inspiring framework.
From Disengagement to High-Performance Culture
Quiet quitting is not rebellion.
It is feedback.
Organisations that ignore it will experience declining productivity and rising turnover. Organisations that redesign leadership capability, feedback systems and purpose alignment will create sustainable engagement.
The opportunity is not to fight quiet quitting.
The opportunity is to build workplaces people no longer feel the need to quietly withdraw from.
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Sources
Start Reverse
The Journey by Andre Wiringa
Deloitte
Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2024
Gallup
State of the Global Workplace Report 2023–2024
