New Work buzzwords explained: the “quiet” trends

August 25, 2024

5 min


In New Work environments, buzzwords are a popular way of referring to current trends in the working world. Interestingly enough, a word that appears often is “quiet”. This word made its debut within a buzzword in 2022, with the TikTok trend “quiet quitting”, which describes employee disengagement. Since then, other “quiet” trends have come into the fold, such as:

Let’s take a closer look at these New Work buzzwords and how they relate to one another.

TikTok trend: quiet quitting

In 2022, “quiet quitting” went viral on social media, most notably on TikTok. At this time, many social media users were posting videos which sent out a clear message: bye bye, hustle culture! It was especially Gen Z that made their rejection of the “work hard, play hard” mentality well known. This generation believes there’s more to life than just work and they’re not willing to prioritize being successful in their careers over other parts of their lives.  Therefore, quiet quitting took on the meaning of leaving work on time, having enough time for family and friends, having time to pursue personal interests and hobbies; in general, maintaining a separation of professional and private life. The buzzword, however, can also describe employees who refuse to take on any new responsibilities or go the “extra mile”.  Even though they go about their work conscientiously, they are only willing to put in the bare minimum of effort for what their job requires.  Working on the weekend, after 10 at night, during a vacation? No chance of that! The term “quiet quitting” remains controversial, with some celebrating it as a movement towards more work-life balance while others insist it’s simply proof that Gen Z is lazy.

The antidote to quiet quitting: New Work trend quiet thriving

Quiet thriving: this New Work buzzword was coined by the psychotherapist Lesley Alderman and can be considered a response to “quiet quitting”. With “quiet thriving”, Alderman is attempting to provide a positive counterpart to “quiet quitting”. The idea here is for employees to actively change how their workday is structured in order to regain more satisfaction within their work. In contrast to “quiet quitting” – and just putting in the minimum of effort – “quiet thriving” stands for creating a working culture which enables employees to once again feel engaged in their jobs. This, in turn, should generate more motivation at the workplace. Hmmm, what does Gen Z think of this approach?

Quiet hiring: a revolutionary HR strategy?

“Quiet hiring”, also known as “silent hiring” or “stealth hiring”, has proven to be a successful HR strategy for filling positions internally. A company will first look among their existing staff for suitable candidates before opening up the recruiting process publicly – and this benefits both employers and employees. It spares employers the time and effort of recruiting and onboarding new staff members. For employees, “quiet hiring” provides them a chance to take on new tasks and further develop their skill sets. There’s also the opportunity to move up within the company and negotiate a higher salary. “Quiet hiring” even makes it possible to change the roles and responsibilities of a job and develop new capabilities. On one hand, bringing more variety into work may be a way to counteract “quiet quitting”. Yet on the other hand, there are many employees who want to remain in roles they’re familiar with; not every worker is necessarily looking to develop themselves further or add more variety to their tasks, or take on a new role.   

When New Work leadership fails: quiet firing

Many managers have viewed “quiet quitting” as a threat to the success of their New Work teams. Now, within the world of New Work’s “quiet trends” lurks another danger, and this one is rather concerning for employees: “quiet firing”. The term generally describes a company firing an employee without giving them transparent reasons to justify the decision. It may mean that the employee finds out about their termination indirectly, or it may imply that an employee has been pressured into leaving the company. “Quiet firing” is not only a negative experience for the employee – it impacts the company as well, since it can create a mistrustful, toxic working environment. Another variant of quiet firing is instigated by managers who handle their staff inappropriately. Employees may feel that they aren’t receiving adequate support or opportunities to advance in the company. When employees feel that their contributions aren’t being appreciated and don’t see themselves advancing, a sense of stagnation creeps in – and at some point, the company will begin to lose talented employees. Both types of “quiet firing” can be avoided by having transparent communication and cultivating an open feedback culture within the company. Expectations on both sides can, in this way, be agreed upon and worked on together. Even when differences prove to be too great, at least an amicable end of the working relationship can be achieved.

New Work’s “quiet” trends reflect the changing values and priorities of employees in New Work environments. While “quiet quitting” puts traditional work values in question by rejecting the hustle culture, “quiet thriving” and “quiet hiring” present positive approaches for improving job satisfaction and promoting internal development. “Quiet firing”, moreover, underscores the risks and consequences of bad leadership. Essentially, both clear communication and a supportive work culture play a key role in being able to utilize these trends constructively to promote a healthy New Work environment.