Is Quiet Cracking really a thing?

The first time I heard the term quiet cracking, I thought to myself, now they are just making stuff up. But the term kept popping up, so I started looking into it. And yes, it is a thing and a form of active disengagement. Similar in name to Quiet Quitting, Quiet Cracking can affect more than just your disengaged employees; it can affect your top performers across all levels of the organization. Making it something to pay attention to.

Quiet quitting employees stop being engaged and quit on the job, but they just don’t tell you. Quiet cracking is a more serious form of active disengagement where employees do the bare minimum, but their unhappiness with their work environment leads to decreased performance, lack of productivity, and eventually resignation. While quiet quitters are there to stay, quiet cracking will leave the organization. Since they can be top performers, it is important to identify them fast.

There are several reasons why your top performers can become quiet cracking. The reasons range from a lack of training and growth opportunities to feeling disconnected from management. Below are some reasons, along with some actions organizations can take to reduce the number of quiet cracking and quitters in your organization.

1. Lack of Support and Staffing.

   This has been a big one on our surveys. Over the last year and a half, the questions about having enough staff to get the job done have been among the lowest-rated questions for most of our clients. When employees feel their area is understaffed and that they have unrealistic workloads, they often feel that their work/life balance is off. For a short period of time, employees are typically willing to give their “all” to contribute to their employer’s success. Over a long period of time, though, morale/motivation will be negatively impacted, leading to higher levels of burnout and turnover, and of course, quiet cracking.

   When we talk to our clients, they indicate that they are not looking to increase staffing to the pre-pandemic levels and are focused on running lean. This is ok when employees have the systems and processes in place to work as efficiently as possible.  It also takes departments communicating well together and working across department lines. If adding additional staff is just not feasible in your department, as a leader, there are other things you can do to help your staff. Things that tend to affect staffing level perceptions include inefficient systems and processes, lack of teamwork and communication, and problem orientation. When employees have to do duplicate work due to ineffective systems or processes, or have to redo things due to a lack of teamwork and communication, they tend to feel understaffed. When we can be proactive with our communication and check in regularly with our internal customers, we tend to find problems sooner, can be proactive with communication, and work as efficiently as possible, reducing the perception of being understaffed and quiet cracking. 

2. Growth and Learning Opportunities

   It is a fact that when employees are learning and growing, they are more engaged in their jobs. Top performers also cite development opportunities as the #1 thing they look for in a job. If you want to turn disengagement around, delegating work to staff and providing them with new learning opportunities will be a great start. When looking at the research for quiet cracking, being stagnant in their job, or having nowhere to go were cited as reasons. As a leader, ensure that you meet with employees and discuss their development. This also doesn’t fall solely on you as a leader; getting employees actively involved in their own development helps too. They must own the process with your help and guidance. You can also check with HR to see if they have a career path program, formal development programs, and what training is available to your staff.  Assigning a mentor also helps with this type of disengagement. Ensure that all your employees are learning and growing to prevent disengagement. That doesn’t mean they have to climb the corporate ladder, as long as they are not stagnant in their jobs.

   Having your employees learning and growing regularly will also give them a sense of purpose and accomplishment, leading to high levels of engagement and less quiet cracking. 

3. Connection with Management

   When employees don’t feel connected with their manager, or heard, it is another reason for quiet cracking. It is important to know that belonging and feeling listened to are innate needs of being human. Your employees need to be heard and recognized regularly to maintain their level of engagement. This doesn’t mean they run the ship, but rather are actively part of the plan. We know that about 70% of an employee’s satisfaction at work is directly correlated to the relationship they have with their manager. That means that leaders who check in with their staff, communicate regularly, and involve them in the planning process are going to have fewer instances of quiet cracking. By soliciting your staff’s opinions, you show that you care and value their opinion. This also applies to the middle and upper management, not just the employee level. It is common for us to see a dip in scores of the middle managers or at the VP level on our surveys. When we see this, we know that information is not being shared or communicated at all levels of the organization. Communication is really the king in leadership. Also important to note that in times of high change, people crave communication and recognition at a much higher rate. So, when you are in a high-change environment, you almost can’t over-communicate or recognize staff.

   This feeling of being disconnected has also been exemplified by remote work. When you are working with remote or hybrid staff, it is important to have regular check-ins or in-office days where your whole team is in with some continuity. There is no use in being in the office if no one else is there. So, coordinate in-office days for your team if you are in a hybrid environment. 

4. Revisit Accountability

   Nothing demotivates a top performer faster than a lack of accountability. When employees see that everyone is being rewarded and recognized the same regardless of their effort or productivity, it can be a significant demotivator for your top performers. In leadership, you need to recognize and reward people based on their performance. To do this, set clear expectations and review them with each member of your team. Then, focus on the results, not time in the seat. Recognize those who not only meet their goals, but also do so on time or exceed them. Holding all employees accountable to clearly defined outcomes is hard work. With really difficult employees, it feels like a fight. When you feel that fight coming, know they are fighting for a reason. Their goal is to make it so uncomfortable for you to hold them accountable that you give up and leave them alone. But hang in there. Holding everyone accountable to the same standards will get you one step closer to creating workplace excellence.

Ensuring your employees are engaged and contributing will take you as a leader helping them with their development, increasing the level of communication, and ensuring they have the systems and processes in place to work as efficiently and effectively as possible. If you see one of your top performers falling off, make sure to connect with them. Doing so may avoid a case of quiet cracking. If this is an issue on your team, you may find our article on “when your top performers lose their edge.”

Dusty Tockstein is a senior consultant at Peter Barron Stark Companies. Dusty works with clients to improve their corporate culture through a variety of tools, including Employee Engagement Surveys, 360 Leadership Development Assessments, Leadership Coaching, and Organizational Assessments.