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"Quiet quitting," the TikTok phenomenon about dialing back effort on the job and setting work-life boundaries that has spurred a deluge of media stories, has focused more attention on employee engagement. Forbes spoke with one of the early researchers of the idea to get his thoughts.
gettyI told myself I wasn’t going to write about “quiet quitting.” The phrase, which became viral thanks to TikTok videos of people talking about dialing back extra effort at work or simply setting boundaries between their jobs and their lives, has already taken on a life of its own, showing up everywhere in media coverage and all over the contents of my inbox. (Thank you, publicists, I’m well aware of the concept.)
But as the “quiet quitting” debate has grown—is this simply Gen Z rejecting hustle culture? Nothing but a new phrase for coasting? A “kernel of collective action”?—it got me thinking about that ubiquitous and fuzziest of terms in Corporate America, “employee engagement.” How has all that focus on an “engaged” workforce over the past 30 years ramped up the expectations of what makes a “good” employee? Is the idea that many people now see setting boundaries as quitting an outgrowth of corporations’ emphasis on being engaged?
To think through the impact the engagement movement has had—and how it might have changed what we expect of our jobs and the workforce—I called up William Kahn, a professor at Boston University whose 1990 research paper helped launched the employee engagement movement that has hovered over corporate management for decades. Interestingly, he was frank that the term he studied—“personal engagement”—has really been adapted for corporate use, emphasizing “how absorbed and attentive and energized someone can be on behalf of the organization”—rather than on employees’ personal connections with their work.
Kahn and I chatted about engagement—but also “quiet quitting,” and you can read more from our conversation here. For more on this latest workplace buzzword, check out some advice from our contributors: How to combat it, signs to watch for, and what both managers and workers can do to respond. As always, thanks to assistant editor Emmy Lucas for her help curating this week’s newsletter.
FEATURED STORY
WeWork Cofounder Adam Neumann’s New Real Estate Startup Sounds An Awful Lot Like One He Invested In Two Years Ago
In 2020, ex-WeWork CEO Adam Neumann invested in a women-led startup called Alfred. Less than two years later, his new real estate company, Flow, which raised $350 million, sounds strikingly similar, Forbes’ Iain Martin, Alex Konrad and Cyris Farivar report.
WORK SMARTER
Here are five ways to manage your career ahead of a recession.
Considering a job change? Here’s how to look without your boss knowing. (Working remotely helps.)
The red flags to watch for in your potential new partner—er, company. And how interviewing is a lot like dating.
Five tips to help you in your next difficult conversation.
How to show courage at work, from speaking up during a meeting to standing up for a co-worker.
ON OUR AGENDA
It may be a good time to start your freelance career: New data from Fiverr Business shows 43% of business owners surveyed plan to hire freelancers amid recession concerns and continued talent shortages. Forbes contributor Caroline Castrillon outlines the benefits of being a freelance worker.
The case against surveillance: In a recent piece, the New York Times created a simulation that tracks your activity as you read about the impacts of surveillance on productivity. Surveillance technology, writes Forbes contributor Tracy Brower, can damage company culture and erode trust. While it can improve efficiency, it can create crisis situations for businesses and leaders, senior contributor Edward Segal writes.
Fauci’s farewell: Dr. Anthony Fauci announced Monday his plans to step down in December from his 35-plus-year tenure as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Forbes’ Madeline Halpert reports. He said in a statement he is “not retiring” and plans to pursue the “next phase” of his career to “continue to advance science and public health.” Forbes’ Edward Segal rounds up the leadership lessons to be learned from Fauci.
Expect more layoffs: More than half of U.S. companies are reducing or plan to reduce their staff, a new PwC survey of 700 executives and board members indicated. Yes, you read that right. Half. Additionally, many are implementing hiring freezes and rescinding job offers, senior contributor Zack Friedman writes. From Ford to Wayfair and more, Forbes is tracking the latest in layoff news.
Study shows less sleep makes you more selfish: We know a lack of sleep, both in quality and quantity, increases risk for mental health problems and other illnesses. But a new study by University of California-Berkeley researchers found that less sleep may also make us less willing to help one another, Halpert reports.
Why women are dancing with Sanna Marin: The Finnish Prime Minister tested negative for drugs after a video of her dancing and partying with friends circulated and political opponents made their criticisms known. Now, the social media movement #SolidarityWithSana is circulating as women relate to the double standards they face as leaders and share partying videos and images of their own, Forbes contributor Kim Elsesser writes.
BOOK CLUB
One of the best qualities you can have as a leader is coachability. That’s the argument in Kevin D. Wilde’s new book, Coachability: The Leadership Superpower. The former General Mills and General Electric leader, who is an executive leadership fellow at the University of Minnesota, combines research and anecdotes to provide readers with best-practice strategies and advice.