A recent study by TalentLMS has highlighted another emerging employee disengagement issue in the workplace, ‘Quiet Cracking’, with 54% of American workers expressing they have experienced this to some degree.
This hidden crisis is tricky to spot due to its slow, silent nature. But leaders can turn things around by helping their people feel supported and heard, valued and appreciated.
We explore the signs to look for, the impact it is having, and most importantly offer solutions to address the issue.
Talk to an expertWhat is Quiet Cracking?
Quiet cracking is a subtle, insidious phenomenon taking hold in many workplaces. It describes a gradual decline in happiness at work, that often goes unnoticed by managers until it is too late. Employees find themselves in a constant state of low satisfaction at work, feeling disengaged, and concerned about job security, especially in the context of uncertainty driven by geopolitical issues which make headlines every day and all around the world. Naturally, this leads to a decline in work performance and an increased desire to quit their job.
Unlike burnout – which is often driven by intense stress or exhaustion – quiet cracking stems from a deeper, more persistent sense of dissatisfaction. In addition to the challenges associated with remote working, the root cause may be that workers feel insecure in their current jobs. According to a 2025 TalentLMS study of American workers, only 62% were confident about their future with their company, and many cite a recent lack of training as fuelling this insecurity. The study found that just 42% of employees had received any form of upskilling in the past year, leaving a significant number concerned that their skills are becoming outdated. Because quiet cracking often goes unnoticed, it’s all the more important for organisations to understand and tackle the causes directly.
In response to this wave of quiet cracking, Axiom is drawing on three-decades of experience and our seven step process to understand and address the challenges, helping your people to feel valued and secure.
Why is it happening?
Quiet cracking evolves over time, but doesn’t appear completely out of nowhere. It is usually the result of deeper structural and cultural issues within an organisation. From job insecurity to a lack of development opportunities, several underlying factors are quietly eroding employee confidence and connection at work.
Job Insecurity
According to a recent survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters, 77% of professionals now place greater emphasis on job security than pay. This may come as no surprise, considering the current economic climate and a declining job market. Employers report that candidates are increasingly enquiring about job security during interviews, and want to see clear business plans and growth prospects. Long-term stability and clear communication about a company’s future are now essential to attract and retain talent. Equally, with fear and instability holding people back from changing jobs, it is essential that employers engage openly with their people, and ensure they feel safe in their roles.
Lacking opportunities for training and development
Training is a key motivator in the workplace, it helps people to feel prepared for the future, and secure. According to the 2025 TalentLMS study, employees who have not undertaken any training in the past year are 140% more likely to feel uncertain about their job stability.
Other research, conducted by Cloud Assess, found that over 25% of employees aged 16 to 34 rank training and development as the most important factor in feeling engaged at work; more so than pay or perks. And over two-thirds of this age group claim that training and development improves their commitment to their employer; this is the highest of any age group.
Managerial disconnect and toxic environments
Engagement between employees and their leaders is another contributory factor in quiet cracking. The TalentLMS study revealed that even when people feel heard by their employers, they don’t feel listened to. This disconnect highlights underlying gaps in managerial support, often leading to employee disengagement driven by poor communication and a lack of understanding. A toxic work environment will exacerbate these sentiments. Subtle behaviours and systemic issues such as weak leadership, micromanagement, and workplace bullying damage morale and increase stress.
Unmanageable workloads, confusion, and a sense of purpose
Unmanageable, unrealistic workloads can play an important part in quiet cracking, along with unclear expectations. In a Gallup Survey undertaken in the US in November 2024, just 45% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement, ‘I know what is expected of me at work’. The same survey showed that improving clarity around job expectations from today’s levels to best-practice standards can increase profitability by 9% and enhance work quality by 11%.
The younger generations now joining the workforce are presenting with motivations that differ from the traditional. Purpose matters. Younger employees want to know that what they do has meaning – that their role makes a real difference. They seek roles within organisations that align with their ethics and values.
How is it affecting the workplace?
Quiet cracking rarely stays contained. Its effects ripple out, subtly unsettling the wider team and slowly eating away at a positive working environment. In turn, it damages performance. While the impact may not be immediate or obvious, it is cumulative and costly.
Employee Disengagement
Quiet cracking in the workplace quietly chips away at morale, breeds negativity, and slows productivity. With a lack of training proven to be a significant factor, younger generations – who now make up a significant portion of the workforce – are particularly susceptible. They don’t just value learning and development, they see it as essential to feeling fulfilled and staying in a role. When these opportunities are lacking, disengagement follows – a trend we explored further in The Great Detachment, our blog on the wider crisis of employee disengagement.
Decreased productivity
When a sense of purpose is missing, motivation starts to wane, and over time it is replaced by a quiet urge to disengage. This decline in productivity is a gradual process, impacting both quality and efficiency, resulting in financial loss for businesses.
High staff turnover
It stands to reason that employees who experience quiet cracking will eventually look for alternative employment.
Organisations are often left with two choices: hire a replacement – which comes at a cost – or push the workload onto the existing team. But if the underlying issues are not addressed, both routes often lead to the same result – the new hire or the remaining staff begin to crack under the pressure.
How we recommend solving it?
The signs of disengagement are not always obvious, but left unaddressed, they can quietly damage performance, morale, and trust. That is why it is so important to take proactive steps. This enables us to not only find out what is going on beneath the surface, but also help leaders create the conditions for colleagues to thrive. Here are our tried and tested recommendations:
Build a foundation of Psychological Safety
Creating a culture where people feel safe to contribute is key. For many of our clients, the first step to achieving this is through workshops on psychological safety. These sessions help leaders and teams understand how to create right the conditions for trust and openness. The next stage is to help organisations routinely build psychologically safe practices into their everyday interactions.
Uncover what people are really thinking and feeling
A key step in building stronger engagement is showing that you are genuinely listening to your people, and taking action based on what they share. That starts with establishing a baseline. By benchmarking where your culture and engagement levels stand today, you will be able to track real progress over time and shine a light on what is working well. You will also be able to uncover what needs to improve, and bring your people into the process of shaping those changes.
At Axiom, we have developed a tried-and-tested approach to help organisations get to the heart of the employee experience. Our Moments of Truth process invites open, honest conversations about how people feel at different stages of their journey – from job application to eventual exit.
These are carefully facilitated discussions where anonymity is protected and psychological safety is prioritised. Employees are given the space to speak freely to Axiom facilitators acting as independent third parties, about what’s helping and what’s holding them back.
What makes this process powerful is that employees don’t just raise issues, they suggest solutions too. When people feel heard, they are more likely to help shape the improvements they want to see. We then share a detailed analysis of the key findings. This includes candid verbatim feedback, along with a set of prioritised recommendations drawn from both the focus group insights and our three decades of experience working with leading organisations.
Armed with a clear view of what really matters to your people, you will be better equipped to make meaningful changes that will drive trust, loyalty, and performance.
Co-develop your collective ambition
To build stronger connections between your people and your organisation’s direction, we strongly recommend involving them in the journey. By bringing together a cross-section of employees in a guided process, you can shape a shared sense of purpose and future – your ‘Collective Ambition’ – that acts as a clear ‘North Star’. This helps define what your organisation stands for, and the kind of experience you want stakeholders, including colleagues, to enjoy and benefit from. When people can see the Big Picture and understand the role they play in it, you create a stronger alignment, deeper commitment, and a clearer path success.
Invest in growth and development
Providing structured and consistent opportunities for employees to learn new skills and advance their careers. This can include training programmes, employee-selected learning paths, and dedicated time for professional development.
We now have over 60 skills development workshops and interventions, under four headings, which include:
These can be mixed and matched to create a bespoke program to meet your unique needs.
Take the next steps
Creating a more engaged, connected workplace does not happen by chance. It takes intentional effort, the right tools, and a willingness to listen and act. If you’re looking to strengthen engagement and create a culture where people feel truly connected and heard, we would love to help.
Let’s start the conversation today!
