According to theRobert Walters report “Global Talent Trends 2026,” organizations are experiencing the negative impact of the engagement recession within their teams. Their latest findings reveal that 78% of managers say that the phenomenon known as quiet cracking is eroding business productivity, while more than one in three (36%) say their teams are struggling to manage the negative consequences.
The term quiet cracking has gained relevance over the past year, describing professionals who continue to meet their job responsibilities while feeling demotivated and disconnected from the corporate culture. The latest findings suggest that its effects are now amplifying at the group level, creating systemic risks to organizational performance.
Gerrit Bouckaert, CEO of Robert Walters Recruitment, explains: “We’re seeing how the ‘quiet cracking’ shifts from being an individual problem to becoming a challenge for companies. For managers, the engagement recession is one of the toughest situations to address because signals aren’t always obvious. That projects take longer to complete, that there is less proactivity, or that it takes more time to resolve something that used to work smoothly are signs of a team’s performance deteriorating that can go unnoticed. If not addressed, this subtle change can transform the overall functionality of the team, increasing the pressure managers feel and creating performance gaps that become much harder to close over time.”
The Professionals Also Feel the Pressure
When professionals were asked how living with a demotivated coworker affects their daily performance, 58% said they notice it and one in five (18%) says it makes them feel less motivated at work.
“Many professionals may feel they have the situation under control even when someone around them is ‘disconnected.’ In practice, being surrounded by people with low motivation often translates into having to take on extra responsibilities to compensate, which keeps work moving in the short term but redistributes the load across the team. Managers tend to notice this shift later, when the team dynamic shows weaker momentum and performance becomes uneven on a larger scale.”
According to the report, organizations that manage to stay ahead of this trend are those that treat engagement as a leadership responsibility integrated into daily management, rather than something measured periodically. This includes identifying behavioral changes, addressing regularly the pressures related to workload, and providing clear direction so that employees understand their priorities and opportunities for professional development.
“Engagement does not collapse overnight, but it deteriorates when pressure grows faster than support, and when people stop seeing how their effort contributes to the overall success of the business. Leaders who dedicate time to listening to their teams and clarifying expectations will be much better prepared to avert the engagement recession,” Bouckaert concludes.
