Among the labor trends that have entrenched themselves in workplace culture, another “quiet” one has emerged.
Quiet cracking, or a persistent and invisible form of workplace unhappiness that slowly leads to disengagement, poor performance and a desire to quit, is the latest term CFOs should take note of to stay aware of labor sentiment.
Though it’s different from typical burnout and quiet quitting because it’s not always rooted in exhaustion or visible in performance metrics, the impact of this new trend can slowly deteriorate employee sentiment. Employee training platform NewTalentLMS, in a new report on the trend, said more than half (54%) of the 1,000 employees surveyed described their current relationship with their employer as “quiet cracking.”
Prevalence and factors driving the trend
The impact of quiet cracking varies more than its prevalence. A fifth (20%) of employees say quiet cracking is a frequent or constant state. Slightly less than half (47%) said they rarely or never feel this way.
As talent issues for finance teams often extend beyond the CFO’s control, understanding why some employees may feel disconnected can help identify ways to retain top performers. While 82% of employees feel secure in their current role, fewer than two-thirds (62%) feel secure within their company. Nearly one-fifth (18%) said they are unsure if a long-term career with their current employer is possible.
The amount of upskilling an employee receives has a strong impact on sentiment and job security. Employees who received no upskilling in the past year are 140% more likely to feel insecure about their current position. Only 42% of employees said they’ve received any upskilling in the past year. Employees who identify as quiet cracking are 29% less likely to have received training and 68% less likely to feel valued and recognized by their organization.
Middle managers — whose roles are increasingly automated or eliminated in efficiency efforts — appear to have limited influence on whether employees fall into the quiet cracking category. More than half (53%) of those quiet cracking said they feel heard by their managers, a sentiment shared by 62% of employees who said they aren’t quiet cracking. Though there’s a link between managerial support and employee sentiment, the impact may be less significant than expected.
Solutions to the problem
Surveyors suggest leaders can combat quiet cracking with upskilling efforts. Structured learning paths, employee-selected training content and dedicated time for upskilling are all recommended remedies.
Clarifying roles and responsibilities and helping employees balance workloads can also improve morale. Twenty-nine percent said their workload is unmanageable, and 15% said they don’t understand what’s expected in their role. Workload audits and stress management tools are both suggested, though the latter have been largely unused in the past.
Though workplace sentiment will always be a pendulum, finance leaders who are aware of these labor trends can consider them when evaluating metrics around sales, marketing, human resources or other people-related efforts. As Myles Corson, EY’s Global and Americas strategy and markets leader for financial accounting advisory services, advised in a previous interview, finance leaders should strive for psychological safety among their teams during times of change to help avoid the impact of negative labor trends like these.
