People use social media platforms to shine a light on current workplace trends. Short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube, and People use social media platforms discuss and learn about current workplace trends. Short-form videos on TikTok and other platforms all provide commentary about acting your wage, quiet quitting, and task masking. How do these behaviors relate to personality strengths, challenges, and values?
On episode 129 of The Science of Personality, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp spoke with Ebenezer Edema-Sillo, data science intern at Hogan Assessments and PhD candidate at the University of Houston. They discussed what specific workplace trends reveal about personality. Ebenezer also provided suggestions for managers of employees who may be engaging in these trends.
Workplace TikTok Trends and Personality
Are trending videos on social media documenting new workplace behaviors? According to Ebenezer, while the buzzwords are new, people have always had different levels of commitment to their jobs. “These are flashy terms for behaviors that we’ve already commonly examined,” he said.
Ebenezer researched the behaviors that drive some workplace TikTok trends. He used the Hogan assessments to identify the personality characteristics of people who engage in these behaviors.
A quick note on the assessments:
- The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) describes the bright side of personality, or how people relate to others when at their best.
- The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) describes the dark side of personality, or potentially overused strengths that can derail performance.
- The Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) describes the inside of personality, or the values that determine goals and motives.
Together, they provide insight into how someone is likely to behave and to perform at work. Let’s examine how personality characteristics are related to acting your wage, quiet quitting, and task masking.
Trend 1: Acting Your Wage
Acting your wage refers to putting in only as much effort is perceived equal to your salary—and no more. “Essentially, individuals who act their wage will prioritize tasks that are explicitly stated within their job description,” Ebenezer explained. They are unlikely to show ambition or innovation and might even decline to take on additional responsibilities or working hours. The mindset behind this trend is “that’s not my job.”
Ebenezer described these individuals in terms of the Hogan assessments. People who act their wage tend to be more stress-prone, have lower initiative, and have a candid communication style (low scores on the HPI scales Adjustment, Ambition, and Interpersonal Sensitivity). Individuals who foster feelings of insecurity, distrust, hostility, or social withdrawal are also more likely to engage in this trend (high scores on the HDS scales Excitable, Skeptical, Cautious, Reserved, and Leisurely). Finally, people who act their wage don’t tend to be motivated by seeking status, helping others, or building relationships (low scores on the MVPI scales Power, Altruism, and Affiliation).
If organizations are concerned about employees acting their wage, they should avoid making too many requests for what psychologists call illegitimate tasks. “These are tasks that violate norms of what an employee can properly be expected to do,” Ebenezer explained. When organizations make repeated requests for illegitimate tasks, employees might feel stressed or disrespected.
In contrast, when organizations show appreciation for workers’ contributions, employees are more likely to accommodate occasional late hours or temporary extra tasks. “These are recommendations that I would suggest employers consistently do, regardless of whether they’re concerned about this particular social media workplace trend,” he added.
Trend 2: Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting is closely related to acting your wage. These employees make little effort to fulfill their job requirements. Similar to acting your wage, quiet quitting is associated with refusing to work overtime or take on additional tasks. However, quiet quitters also reduce participation, such as talking less during meetings and avoiding team social activities.
Unsurprisingly, the personality characteristics of quiet quitting closely correspond with those of acting your wage. “We found the same personality characteristics for the underlying behavior, even though there are subtle differences,” Ebenezer said. On a spectrum of workplace engagement, those acting their wage seem completely disengaged, while quiet quitters perform work with low engagement, energy, and effort. “Even if quiet quitters are not strongly involved within their work, there’s still a sense of ‘What’s the least that I can do to get the job done and keep my role?’” he said.
When it comes to keeping employees engaged, treating employees fairly is an essential component. Managers should have regular check-ins with employees to monitor well-being and job satisfaction. Ebenezer noted that the behaviors behind these viral trends likely emerge when the dark side of personality is activated. “These characteristics may turn into performance derailers when someone is under intense pressure or stress,” he said. “I would recommend managers gain insight into why certain employees may be engaging in these trends, mitigate those factors, and allow employees to feel more motivated.”
Trend 3: Task Masking
Task masking is appearing busy without doing a significant amount of work. Examples would be typing intently but actually playing a computer game, pacing through the office just to count steps, using an automated mouse mover to seem active online, and setting virtual meetings without any attendees. These counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) include the misuse of time and resources and the intentional production of substandard work.
People are more likely to task mask when they are more stress-prone, vigilant, flexible, disorganized, and somewhat resistant to supervision (low scores on the HPI scales Adjustment and Prudence). On the dark side of personality, task maskers may be energetic yet volatile and agreeable yet passive resistant (high HDS Excitable and Leisurely). As well, those who are more assertive, outspoken, and willing to confront people-related problems may tend to engage in task masking (low MVPI Altruism).
Task masking relates to our core need to find meaning in our work and lives. “If someone is lacking meaning in their professional role, they may seek out fulfillment in other areas of their lives, treating the role as strictly transactional,” said Ebenezer. Organizations should intentionally provide employees with meaningful work—a working environment that gives the employee a sense of purpose, fulfillment, and accomplishment. Meaningful work can develop from nurturing employees’ unique skills and capabilities, communicating the larger organizational impact of tasks, and showing their contribution to a greater purpose outside of the organization.
Individuals who have a stronger sense of meaning about their work are more likely to be engaged and productive. “Even though we have buzzwords about these workplace TikTok trends, they’re new terms for old, underlying behaviors that we’ve already long studied,” Ebenezer said.
Listen to this conversation in full on episode 129 of The Science of Personality. Never miss an episode by following us anywhere you get podcasts. Cheers, everybody!