Quiet quitting: Trendy topic or fun framing?

The phrase Quiet Quitting’ has caught on as it captures the impact of the pandemic on the lives of many people but can it be framed more accurately?

- 

When the new phrase “Quiet Quitting” began to surface on social media, my colleagues and I discussed the idea and sought to understand the meaning of the trend. We wondered how a workforce concept can quickly rise from casual TikTok posts to a trending management concept in the Harvard Business Review. Over the last year, several researchers have noted the increased human capital focus related to well-being in the workplace and we have witnessed survey results indicating lower engagement around the world. So, it is perhaps not surprising that the sentiment of today’s workforce quickly resonated with this new alliterative phrase, “Quiet Quitting.”

After some review, it seems that this phrase is used in two different ways. One concept is removing yourself from the “climb the ladder” mindset or decelerating career ambition to focus more on other aspects of life. This is often considered a rebalancing. We sometimes see this with new parents, for example, who value time with their new child more than spending overtime hours at the office. Certain life events can also trigger this type of rebalancing. In the US, we witnessed this after the 9/11 terror attacks and we also see this in other parts of the world that have suffered natural disasters, wars, and other life-changing events. So, while this concept is not new, the phrase “Quiet Quitting” has caught on as it captures the impact of the pandemic on the lives of many people. Around the world, scores of individuals and families are making life changes as a result of their experience and reflection during the COVID-19 outbreak.