If it feels like a new workplace trend or recruitment buzzword appears on LinkedIn every week, you’re not imagining it. The way we work is changing quickly, and with that comes a whole new vocabulary to describe how people feel about their jobs, careers and employers.
Some of these phrases are genuinely useful, others are a little over-hyped — but most reflect real shifts in behaviour that employers and employees alike need to understand. Here’s a simple guide to some of the recruitment and workplace buzzwords you’re most likely to hear right now.
Quiet Quitting
Despite the dramatic name, this doesn’t mean quitting at all. It refers to employees doing the job they’re paid for — but no more than that. Often it’s a response to burnout, lack of progression or unclear expectations rather than laziness.
Quiet Cracking
A step beyond quiet quitting. Employees appear to be coping and performing, but are mentally exhausted and disengaged beneath the surface. It’s harder to spot — and often more damaging long term.
Job Hugging
The opposite of job hopping. People stay put in roles they may not love because of economic uncertainty or fear of change, even if they’re disengaged or under-challenged.
Rage Applying
Applying for multiple jobs in a burst of frustration after a bad day, meeting or performance review. It’s emotionally understandable — but often leads to unfocused applications and poor outcomes.
Revenge Quitting
Leaving a role suddenly or dramatically after feeling undervalued or overlooked. It’s usually driven by emotion rather than long-term career planning.
Quiet Hiring
An employer trend where organisations fill skills gaps by upskilling or redeploying existing staff instead of recruiting externally. This can be positive — or problematic — depending on how well it’s managed.
Conscious Unbossing
A growing preference among some professionals to avoid management roles altogether, prioritising autonomy, flexibility and specialist expertise over traditional career ladders.
Micro-Retirement
Taking planned breaks from work — weeks or months rather than years — to rest, travel or reset, before returning to employment. Still not mainstream, but increasingly discussed.
996 Culture
Refers to working 9am–9pm, six days a week. While extreme, it has reignited global conversations about productivity, wellbeing and sustainable work practices.
Why Any of This Matters
These buzzwords signal a fundamental shift in how people perceive workplace norms — what’s acceptable, what’s sustainable, and what work should actually mean in their lives. This recalibration of expectations doesn’t just influence individual career decisions; it’s reshaping the entire employment landscape, forcing both job seekers to redefine what they’re willing to accept and employers to reconsider what they need to offer.
If you recognise yourself in any of these descriptions, it may be a sign it’s time to reassess what you want next — not just in terms of salary, but culture, balance and long-term opportunity.
If you’re thinking about your next move and want informed, practical advice on how to progress your career, get in touch with Affirmative Portfolios. We’re always happy to help you cut through the jargon — or explore our current job opportunities to see what might suit you better now.
