The Harris Poll Discusses 'Quiet Quitting' Becoming Businesses' Greatest Fear and Management Challenge in New Podcast Episode

Libby Rodney and John Gerzema of The Harris Poll discuss the TikTok meme that became a mainstream trend in a recent episode of the podcast 'America This Week'

Featured Image for The Harris Poll

Featured Image for The Harris Poll
Featured Image for The Harris Poll

NEW YORK, Sept. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Quiet Quitting movement is both "business leaders' biggest fear" and a challenge that they alone can solve, according to Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll Thought Leadership Practice. Rodney shared her thoughts on the trend in an August episode of the new podcast "America This Week," co-hosted by Rodney and John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.

During their conversation, Rodney and Gerzema explore the origins of the Quiet Quitting movement, which leaped from TikTok to international headlines in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. They explore who's disengaging, and why, and delve into the rise of free agent employees who want more money from corporations at a time when those corporations are more likely to instigate hiring freezes and layoffs.

Despite its name, Quiet Quitting doesn't actually involve quitting, per se. "You're not outright quitting your job, but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond," said TikTok user Zaiad Khan. As described by BBC News, Quiet Quitting means "doing only what your job demands and nothing more. Quitting doing anything extra. You still show up for work, but stay strictly within the boundaries of your job requirements. So no more helping out with additional tasks or checking emails outside work hours."

A new survey that Harris Poll conducted for Bloomberg News examines the factors that contribute to Quiet Quitting. The poll revealed that in general, the younger the worker, the more disillusioned they are with their jobs and the more likely they are to quit if employers implement return-to-office (RTO) policies and reduce hybrid or work-from-home (WFH) environments.

Among the findings:

Employers Hold the Reins: More than three-quarters (76%) of Gen Z employees believe employers have more leverage in the job market than employees, compared to 56% of all employees.

Young People Are Free Agents: Among working adults, 42% of Gen Z and 37% of Millennials have recently quit or switched jobs in the past two years; 48% of Gen Z and 49% of Millennials say they are likely to quit their job in the next year.

Fearing the Worst: Among working adults, 57% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials are worried that they are going to lose their job soon.

Fight vs. Flight: Almost two-thirds (66%) of Millennials say they have stayed in their jobs because of economic fluctuations (e.g., rising inflation, decreasing stock market) compared to barely half (51%) of Gen Z.