Workplace buzzwords that dominated 2023
After battling COVID-19 adversities for nearly two years, 2023 saw things returning to normalcy. Till the time the pandemic hit us all, we associated our entire identity with only our work. When people asked about us, didn’t we all say, “I am an architect”, “I am a writer”, etc, you agree, right? However, during these two years, we witnessed the grave unpredictability of life. This clubbed with the new work-from-home patterns taught us how valuable our life beyond our cubicles is. And, how we have been taking the little joys of life — being with our families, indulging in self-care, a good afternoon nap, and many more — so lightly. All of this results in what, you ask? With 2023, as most companies are desperate to shift back to pre-COVID norms, employees are loving and embracing the shift in their mindsets towards a healthy work-life balance. It has given rise to some common patterns observed among employees who truly value life beyond their 9-to-5 jobs. Let’s delve more into some workplace buzzwords that came to the limelight in 2023 because of this shift.
Rage applying
Our priorities have changed big time, but companies? Not so much. With our newfound love towards life, a lot of us feel unhappy and unsatisfied with the quality of life that comes with our present jobs. Be honest, don’t you agree? Don’t worry, we won’t tell your employer.
Due to this feeling of expectations not aligning with ground reality at work, many employees resorted to rage applying. As the name suggests, it involves simultaneously sending out applications to numerous companies, hoping for a positive response from somewhere. While it’s advisable to narrow down your job search and apply with a strategy, in the desperation of quickly finding a new job in a slow market that we saw in 2023, people resorted to rage applying. It was one of the first workplace buzzwords that rose to fame.
Quiet hiring
The fear of recession is hovering in many countries, and several major economies have already succumbed. Also, as we saw so many layoffs every day, it was evident that companies were keen on cost-cutting in 2023. The result of the same is quiet hiring. This workplace buzzword talks about the trend where employers refuse to hire new staff to meet company requirements.
Instead, they either upskilled a person to take on a new role or just dumped more workload on some employees. While some workers find it motivating to be upskilled and given more tasks, it does not align with everyone’s aspirations and expectations from the job.
Quiet quitting
No, this workplace buzzword has nothing to do with being as rude as resigning without notice. Instead, it means not quitting at all while also not doing what’s required out of the job role. As the job market was slow in 2023 and the opportunities were rare, finding a new job has been a tough task for many. In such a scenario, leaving an existing job was definitely not the best option. So, the pattern that was observed among employees was quiet quitting.
As per this trend, employees did the bare minimum required from the job role to keep from getting fired but refused to go the extra mile for work. Refusing to work overtime, not engaging in meetings, and not taking up extra work are some things that people resorted to when they chose to quiet quit. It was a way people opted to show displeasure towards the working conditions of their company by shirking their responsibilities.
Resenteeism
Gone are the days when employees would take up all the bashing and beating with a smile. If you are an employer, be ready for tantrums! As per this trend, employees who resented their jobs — those who were ill-treated or were unhappy with the environment — chose to display their feelings loud and clear. Some common ways employees resorted to in resenteeism included not performing well, frequent absenteeism, talking back, and many other unique personalised ways.
Resenteeism was more common in people technically trapped at work due to a lack of better opportunities, rising job threats, or a weak market. It was also common in those who wished to value work-life balance, but their companies thought otherwise.
Bare minimum Mondays
As you will read along, you will realise a lot of us have been following this trend for ages but now it’s just emerging as one of the trending workplace buzzwords. Thanks to social media, it now has both name and fame. As the name suggests, bare minimum Monday was a trend where people resorted to doing the bare minimum on a Monday. Doing just enough to not get pulled up by a manager has been the prime aim of this trend. Why, you ask? You might have noticed that a lot of us start feeling Monday blues on Sunday afternoons.
Most of us spend half of our Sunday worrying about what the first day of the week will look like. It brings in a lot of gloominess and anxiousness to our beloved Sunday. However, when you already know you will do just enough to sail through, when you’ve already decided to keep the Monday light and easy, what’s there to worry about? Also, it significantly reduces the overwhelming feeling that we usually have after returning to work post the weekend. So, doing just enough saves us two days of feeling overwhelmed and anxious. What a win-win!
Career cushioning
As I mentioned before, 2023 saw many companies laying off their workforce. It is pertinent to note that a lot of these layoffs were sudden and entailed no notice to the employees. In many cases, there was no severance also. It led to a constant fear in the minds of the employees, especially those who worked in such industries.
The result? People decided to get one step ahead of the curve. In 2023, many employees who still had jobs started upskilling, refining their resumes, and networking. All of this was to ensure that they had an alternative in the event they lost their job. Working towards securing another job gave people a cushion in case of being laid off and gave them an edge over those who had no preparations.
Coffee badging
It is the latest trend that emerged in 2023. This trend was largely a result of power-play regarding office presence between the companies and employees. While the pandemic made the employees appreciate the overall benefits of working from home, companies were not too convinced. By the end of 2023, we saw companies asking their employees to return to work as a mandate. However, the employees know better! Now that one needs to return to the office, one needs to find ways of having a good time.
That is how coffee badging came to the fore. As per this trend, employees forced to return to the office are now coming in and spending considerable time socialising with colleagues, taking coffee breaks, working in between, and returning home. Coffee badging is a modern twist to the clock-in and clock-out mentality.
Here, employees make sure that their presence is felt and acknowledged. It is one way people are showing a preference for flexibility and hybrid models over strict work-from-office routines. The world is changing, and we’re all seeking balance. I don’t know if everyone is seeking spiritual balance, but work-life balance? For sure!
Conclusion
The pandemic has really taught the world a very different way of looking at life. Now that people have seen the loss of life so closely, the value of living has increased by leaps and bounds. This is leading to a diminishing rat race mentality.
These workplace buzzwords show that employees now value their dignity, personal space, and time more than ever and will do everything they possibly can to maintain it. While they want to shift to a more flexible work life, employers don’t seem keen.
In my opinion, it’s a delicate balance that needs to be carefully reached. While the onus of productivity and completion of tasks lies entirely on employees, the onus of having faith is on the employer. In scenarios where both exist, hybrid models can flourish and these workplace buzzwords can perish.
Anyhow, one tip-off on either scale will cause great discourse. Through these workplace buzzwords, this article only mentions how people are functioning in uncertain post-pandemic workplaces. But, how you, as an employee, strike a good work-life routine is on you. Whether you resort to one of these trends, find a new job, become a freelancer, or become a yogi who has renounced everything, it’s entirely your call!
