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Tag: Workplace trends

  • Are Women Trading Leadership for Lifestyle? Here’s What to Know About the Great Downshift

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    A quiet career movement has been underway, from tech companies to service industries and beyond, called the great downshift. I started to notice this trend with colleagues first, and then with friends and professional connections, all in different industries but with the same goals in mind. Surprisingly, I could not find a term for this change, though the trend showed similar patterns.  

    The great downshift is when professional women intentionally step back from leadership or upper management, opting instead for a return to individual contributor positions. This downshift is a direct response to persistent barriers women face in corporate leadership and a growing desire for professional fulfillment that doesn’t demand personal sacrifice. 

    Take the case of a 38-year-old former director of product development who moved from a demanding executive role back to a senior product manager position. The director role meant more ownership, meetings, and administration, with less of the creative work she enjoyed as an early employee. Her downshift meant a 20 percent reduction in pay, but she gained back time. In her new individual contributor role, she is focused on strategic execution without the burden of constant people management and budgetary politics. 

    The plateau: Data shows the struggle at the top 

    Despite decades of dialogue about gender equality, the path to the C-suite remains frustratingly slow for women. Data from LinkedIn’s 2025 Women in Leadership report illuminates this persistent bottleneck. While women enter the workforce at healthy rates, they hold only 30.6 percent of leadership positions, and progress has stalled. While this study does not dive into the why, it dives into the problem being displayed on a global scale. The U.S. fares better than most other countries polled. However, the number of women in the C-suite is well below the 30 percent average above. 

    Key industries stand out, which are not surprising, such as construction and oil, gas, and mining. However, in others like technology, information, and media, the numbers are well below average.   

    Trading titles for time: Burnout drives decisions 

    The decision to downshift is rarely about a lack of ambition. It’s about redefining what success truly means. 

    Women are burnt out. It’s partially because of the mix of demands of leadership and demands of the home, which drive mental loads as well as physical. Women are also expected to work in places that do not support every stage of their needs. They face a lack of material leave, long working hours for those with children, and a lack of menopause support.  

    Burnout, among other things, is being supported by a new wave of technology. These tools are focused on women’s holistic well-being and flexible work. One example is Soula, an app originally designed to support women through AI-assisted mental health coaching. Platforms like Soula, while they are not direct career apps, provide women with personalized mental health tools, community support, and expert guidance on managing stress and life transitions. When offered through employers, they provide cost assistance and ease to adopt.  

    Another example of workplace assistance is employer-driven menopause support, which was highlighted in the recent movie The M Factor.  

    “Women have reported that menopause symptoms interfere with their work performance and productivity. Many have considered quitting because of their symptoms. Research from Mayo Clinic found that American companies face menopause-related losses of $26 billion annually, including $1.8 billion of lost work time alone,” noted Priya Bathija, founder and CEO of Nyoo Health, an organization driving women’s health initiatives forward.   

    When employers take a role in understanding women’s whole journey, women can have improved chances of staying in the workplace.  

    Redefining the ladder  

    The bright side of the great downshift is that it could be seen as an alternative to women leaving the workplace. The reasons may vary. They might need the income, want to stay engaged, and even enjoy their contributions. So the downshift, while a decline, offers some respite for keeping women in the workplace. 

    Overall, the great downshift is not a mass exodus from the workforce, but a strategic re-engagement on one’s own terms. It’s a rejection of the traditional corporate ladder that often requires women to sacrifice their personal lives for a tenuous hold on power. Perhaps, it could become an option for future career pathing and design of work for all genders.  

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Parul Bhandari

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  • Why You Need to Consider Implementing the 4-Day Workweek

    Why You Need to Consider Implementing the 4-Day Workweek

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The four-day workweek concept isn’t new. New Zealand and many European countries have proven it successful over recent years. Yet, with the shift to hybrid work and the need for increased flexibility, more companies are rethinking the work week. One study showed that 40% of companies have implemented or are beginning to implement a four-day workweek.

    Having managed my diversity speaking business for eight years, my organization is trying the four-day workweek in 2023. We studied the benefits, discussed our preferences and decided as a team to commit to the shift. As with any change, we anticipate there will be challenges short-term and are hopeful about the long-term results.

    Research shows the four-day workweek boosts productivity, improves retention and increases access to diverse talent. This work schedule is more attractive to those that are caregivers, younger employees, those from different socioeconomic classes and those with disabilities.

    According to Four-Day Week, organizations with successful implementation take into account the differing preferences of their employees with the flexibility to co-create their work schedule. LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence survey, which surveyed 19,000 workers in 2022, found that for 54% of people, the four-day workweek is among their top three priorities when it comes to workplace benefits. Support is especially strong for the younger generation of workers, with 62% of both millennials and Gen Z supporting the shift. The four-day week was also more popular among women (57%) than among men (51%).

    One wrinkle to this — most senior leadership teams have significantly lower interest in four-day work weeks at just 43%.

    What does it take to boost diversity and inclusion with the four-day workweek?

    Related: The Case for a 4-Day Work Week

    Ditch the “traditional worker” mindset

    Most senior-level leaders grew up under the “traditional worker” mindset where men were more likely to occupy leadership roles with stay-at-home partners to help with tasks outside of work. The preference for workers to always be “on,” respond to emails right away, be visible in the office for more hours, have back-to-back meeting schedules and emphasize being busy over actual results is outdated. The “traditional worker” model needs to shift from the four-day workweek to work.

    For women that are caregivers, folks with disabilities and those from different cultures and backgrounds, it is more difficult to fit into a culture that reveres the “traditional worker.” Burnout and turnover are much higher for leaders in diversity work. More flexible work environments are known to create more psychological safety for workers with different backgrounds and reduce the number of microaggressions they face.

    Barnes‘ organization, which is working with university researchers to test the four-day week across different industries, promotes the 100/80/100 model: 100% productivity, 80% of the time, with 100% pay.

    Oftentimes people don’t reduce their workloads, they’re simply more intentional and efficient with the time they have when they lose one working day. People are forced to evaluate trade-offs and set clear priorities instead of saying yes to everything.

    Related: This is What It’s Actually Like to Work a 4-Day Workweek

    Be clear on what good performance looks like

    Instead of glorifying the “traditional worker,” have objective criteria to measure performance. Reduce meetings by asking “could this meeting be an email,” set clear boundaries on business hours and do not reward work done outside of those business hours.

    Teams that flourish in the four-day workweek have a concise set of documented goals and expectations. They know what is in scope for their role and out of scope for their role. They have the confidence to push back on work outside of their job descriptions.

    Also, encourage employees to set healthy boundaries based on their primary job responsibilities. Normalize pushing back when people ask more from you with clever phrases like, “If I helped you, I’d be letting others down” or “I would be unable to do a good job on your project and my other work would suffer.”

    As a leader, paint a picture of what good looks like. Measure performance objectively based on specific, measurable data to set your team up for success. For example, my team does quarterly key performance indicators (KPIs). Each team member selects three broad goals with specific tactics that are easy to measure completion on. We evaluate them at the end of each quarter to inform quarterly bonuses and pay increases.

    Related: Want to Work A 4-Day Workweek? Here’s What It Takes

    Do a trial run

    If your team is skeptical about the four-day workweek, try it first. Set an expectation for a time period for the trial, define what success looks like and gather perspectives at the end of the trial. My team has committed to our trial period at the start of the year. We are shifting to longer hours Monday through Thursday, proactively managing expectations with our clients and blocking time on our calendars for critical tasks aligned with our KPIs.

    We also looked ahead to the year and blocked time off when we know we are traditionally slow. We plan to take time off on holiday weeks, summertime and spring and fall break times. That way we can be available when our clients are traditionally busier by proactively planning our work schedules around past known seasonality.

    One of the few downfalls to the four-day workweek is time for creative work for folks with diverse backgrounds. With less time to wonder and banter with colleagues informally, the status quo can endure. Innovation time should also be prioritized and fit into the new work week. Our team schedules regular creative project time throughout the month to remind us to continue to rethink work.

    Flexible work environments like the four-day workweek are known to help diversify workplaces. With this new model, our team hopes to retain our diverse team and also attract more talent from diverse backgrounds.

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    Julie Kratz

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  • Workplace Trends You Need to Know for 2023

    Workplace Trends You Need to Know for 2023

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The New Year always brings a fresh perspective to our lives and work. And as with any fresh start, savvy leaders are identifying strategies to increase productivity, keep their workforce engaged and help take their business to the next level.

    A nuanced look at gender equality, closer-knit workforces and unique ways to engage staff through wellbeing are just three trends we’re likely to see in workplaces come 2023. It’s hoped they’ll make corporate culture in the U.S. much more hospitable for employees.

    In 2022, the buzzwords included flexible working, prioritizing purpose and increased transparency to help leaders better connect with their staff. So what will 2023 bring?

    1. Closer-knit workforces

    This time last year, Covid-19 was slowly rearing its head again for a dark and gloomy winter. Some employees had already started returning to the office, but many companies U-turned and sent staff home again. Fast forward to the present; a lot has changed in a year. People are back in offices, hybrid working has solidified and a seismic shift has happened.

    Related: Workplace Trends That Will Shape 2022

    What has been the result? While many employees are happier, 65% of businesses say it’s been “challenging” to boost morale and create a cohesive company culture while people are remote working.

    In 2023, these issues are likely to be addressed head-on: How can we make hybrid working work better for everyone? This could be more full-team meeting days while people are in the office, so their commuting time is productive. It could also mean cultivating a more appealing place to work to ensure when people do come in, they experience the benefits.

    2. Meaningful social impact

    While many businesses have focused on corporate social responsibility in the past few years, some have fallen into the trap of “greenwashing”: Making others believe their company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.

    Alongside that, the generation now entering the workforce — Generation Z — is prioritizing working in companies that contribute to making the world a better place.

    So as the need for corporate social responsibility grows, companies should focus on what meaningful action they are taking now to protect our planet and the people on it.

    What are you doing this week, month or year, to make a difference?

    Focusing on this will have a desirable effect on your business. In a 2022 Gartner study of more than 30,000 people, 87% said companies should take a public position on societal issues. They found when corporations do take a stand, they can expect an increase in the number of employees who go above and beyond at work: 18% more employees showed high levels of “discretionary effort” at vocal employers compared to those companies that stayed silent.

    Related: 6 Signs It’s Time to Make Your First Operations Hire

    3. A focus on wellbeing

    Mental health and burnout have long been part of the conversation when we discuss improving work and the culture surrounding it — especially since the Covid lockdowns.

    But as we near the end of 2022, a shift is happening — for the better. The U.S. Surgeon General reported that 71% of employees believe their employer is more concerned about their mental health and wellbeing than ever before. This is a huge step forward and one we must grasp and run with. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General released a framework that aims to support workplaces in better improving the mental health and wellbeing of their employees. This includes: Ensuring there is an opportunity for growth, valuing employee contributions, enhancing social connections in the workplace and focusing on achieving better work-life integration.

    We’re likely to see more mental wellbeing initiatives and strategies employed across businesses that deliver meaningful and practical help to their employees — from self-care days off once a month to increased wellbeing benefits, mental health first aid training and even adaptations to the workplace.

    4. A nuanced take on gender equality

    In late 2022, Harvard Business Review surveyed high-performing professional women in the U.S. and found that while some women are, on the surface, flying high — they are taking on a set of specific maladaptive behaviors and beliefs to get by, and suffering because of it.

    Women reportedly are sacrificing their needs, beliefs and sense of individuality to stay at the top or even simply to “fit in” to get that promotion. One woman said, “Denial is the only way I can survive and do the job I was hired to do.”

    While gender equality has been part of workplace discussions for decades, the conversation will become more nuanced this coming year. Companies will aim to not only reduce the gender pay gap and bring more women into senior-level positions but also listen to women. Listen to their voice, their ideas and their creativity. Hiring women for powerful positions while leaving them feeling disempowered will not shift the equality landscape. Ultimately, it’s the understanding that women bring their strengths and ideas to the table and don’t need to adapt to traditional corporate values and structure to be successful.

    Related: 3 Ways You Can Brand Your Candidate Experience to Attract Top Talent

    5. Leadership investment

    It’s never been easy to be in a leadership position, but now more than ever, it can be complex to navigate. Leaders already deal with business pressure, budgets, negotiations, strategy and more. They also have to support and lead on communication, transparency, wellbeing, engagement, inclusion and equality for every single one of their staff. And now? They need to lead change: Prioritizing social impact, their employees’ and customers’ needs and wants and adapting their businesses to a changing social landscape.

    In a 2022 HR Insights Survey, CCI Consulting found more than 50% of businesses lack one critical skill that can make a difference: “leading change.” This is why, in 2023, we’re likely to see an investment in leadership through coaching, courses, training and exposure to diverse strategies that could work.

    There’s a lot of hope that 2023 will make positive strides for the corporate world, enticing those who left the labor force to reenter it. But to do that, there needs to be a real commitment to the issues discussed above and a belief that things will improve with dedication and effort.

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    Dr. Samantha Madhosingh

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  • You Can’t Stop Quiet Quitting, But Here’s How You Can Prevent It

    You Can’t Stop Quiet Quitting, But Here’s How You Can Prevent It

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The new workplace trend known as quiet quitting has left office managers and employers up in arms over what to do to keep employees engaged and enchanted — just as companies were able to rebound from the tumultuous conditions brought on by the Great Resignation, which saw nearly 19 million employees quit their jobs.

    But even as employees left their jobs in droves last year in hopes of changing their careers or landing a more purposeful job somewhere else, quiet quitting has become the workplace trend that just doesn’t want to quit.

    Unlike the Great Resignation, which simply meant employees were leaving their jobs because they felt burned out, stressed and anxious — quiet quitting resembles an attitude of setting boundaries and not taking work too seriously.

    It’s a workplace trend that has inspired millions of workers to “act their wage,” leaving them to only do what is required of them and not go above and beyond.

    Related: Employers Should Fear The Truth Behind Quiet Quitting. Here’s Why.

    It’s more than just quitting

    After years of reconfiguring the workplace environment due to the pandemic and the onset of remote work, employees still seem to be quitting their jobs despite economic and financial uncertainty looming.

    The Talkspace and The Harris Poll Employee Stress Check 2022 Report found that employees ages 18 to 34 years are most likely to experience high levels of stress and anxiety in their jobs leading to factors such as feeling burned out. At the same time, a Gallup study found that those employees born after 1989 (55%) are less likely to be engaged in their jobs.

    There’s evidence of employees quitting their jobs in the hopes of finding something more worthwhile and meaningful — around 40% according to McKinsey research. For others, quiet quitting in the office has become a major headache for managers, human resource staff and employers alike.

    It’s not completely possible to stop quiet quitting in its tracks or control it from spreading across the office like wildfire. There is, however, room for proactive ways to overcome quiet quitting in the office.

    Talk to employees

    Any employee can become disengaged at work, and it’s even harder to assume someone is quietly quitting based on their performance. Various factors can influence performance from the workload to the workplace environment.

    Executive personnel should take the time and effort to talk to employees to get a better view and understanding of their possible disengagement at work. Seek to monitor employee stress levels and their current workload. This will help to understand whether an employee is simply overworked, or actively quiet quitting.

    Make an effort to invest in employee well-being — not only for the sake of improving office morale or company loyalty, but to better understand where possible workplace challenges are causing employees to do the bare minimum.

    Related: Quiet Quitting Is Taking Over the Workforce. Here’s How to Fix It.

    Understand employee needs

    Often and more than usual, employees who exhort feelings of quiet quitting will do so to get back at their employer or manager simply because they feel overworked and underappreciated.

    In this case, it’s the ideal time to start promoting employee engagement through active conversations. The idea is not to simply talk about any workplace-related pains, but actively look to resolve the issues with workable solutions.

    Research shows that how employers and managers treat their subordinates will make a big difference in whether people will remain loyal to the company or start resembling traits of quiet quitting. Furthermore, employees who feel emotionally and psychologically disengaged from their employers are less likely to speak out about possible grievances.

    The best and easiest solution, in this case, is to promote employee dialogue among those experiencing high levels of stress and burnout, sooner rather than later.

    Advocate employee recognition

    Often, employees start to become disinterested and disengaged in their work due to a lack of recognition. This helps to kindle quiet quitting even more.

    Employees who feel their efforts are being recognized, either by their boss, manager or team members, will see value in doing more than what is expected of them. Yet, in the same breath, it’s not easy for those in power to monitor recognition-worth progress among a large team of workers.

    It’s important to consider the type of contribution certain employees are making, and what they are bringing to the table during projects and team meetings. Employees that are disconnecting themselves from projects and other teamwork will have an affect on other workers, as well as the overall team performance.

    As a rule, employers and managers, and in some cases HR, should understand the impact employees are making and how they are actively contributing to the overall success of the company.

    Related: From the Great Resignation to Quiet Quitting, Here’s Why Good People are Really Leaving and How to Keep Them.

    Mentor employees in their careers

    Quiet quitting is often about making a career change or taking on a new job without quite knowing how to do it successfully. In most instances, it’s common for employees to change their jobs every so often. But for those that are looking to commit to a career change, without the right guidance, they can often feel overwhelmed and anxious doing so.

    Knowing that employees are willing to make a career shift, or have come to terms with finding a new job, it should be a time when employers or managers can help to offer career management advice. For many employees, leaping into something unknown is a thought riddled with anxiety. To prevent quiet quitters from slowing progress and performance in the office, employers need to help employees better manage their careers and prospects within the company.

    Finishing off

    Quiet quitting isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s not possible to stop it dead in its tracks before it comes into your office. There will come a time when employers and managers will need to step in to help assess employee well-being and performance based on their workload, engagement and company loyalty.

    Head-hunting quiet quitters is not the right way to deal with the situation. Yet it is possible to effectively communicate with employees about their current working conditions and help promote a healthy work-life balance. Make sure to be a leader more than a boss, and advocate employee well-being. It’s better to help employees, rather than leave them to hurt your company’s bottom line.

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    Pierre Raymond

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