Beware! This ‘QuitTok’ Trend is Catching On. Are You Equipped to Handle It?

This new trend is taking off, and it’s going to require some serious reputation management from companies. Gen Z employees, the ones fueling the viral “QuitTok” trend, are not just politely handing in a two-week notice anymore; they’re broadcasting their resignations on TikTok, and their videos are getting millions of views.

You might be tempted to blame TikTok’s algorithm for this wave of public resignations. But let’s be real: when 42% of Gen Z are already job hunting due to lack of purpose at work, it’s not the app that’s the problem. It’s your culture.

Here are 4 reasons why your company may end up on QuitTok, and how you can fix it:

1. You Have Culture Misalignment

Gen Z knows if the values of your culture don’t match the actual experience. With 83% of workers wanting mission connection and only 66% of Gen Z believing it’s real, your culture can’t be faked. Remember, words don’t define your culture; employee experiences do.

Tips:

• Show real actions: Let employees see how the mission is lived, not just in an annual report. Tell stories around your core values and reward those who display them.
  
  
• Conduct a culture audit: Ask for honest feedback on the employee experience by auditing your culture, and then act on it, don’t just file it away.
  
  

2. Your Environment is Toxic

You can post all the “we’re like family” nonsense you want, but if people feel like they’re in a toxic environment, they’ll be on QuitTok telling the world. No amount of feel-good meetings will fix the revolving door of turnover if a toxic culture is the real red flag.

Tips:

• Clue In: Pay attention to Glassdoor, social posts, and exit interviews; they’re telling you what your employees won’t say until it’s too late.
  
  
• Hold People Accountable: Be willing to have the tough conversations with people who go against your company’s non-negotiable behaviors. The rest of your team is looking to YOU to set the standards.
  
  

3. People Don’t Feel Valued

69% of employees say they would work harder and stay with a company longer if they were better appreciated. So, if your “career-pathing” and “daily conversations” don’t include authentic appreciation, don’t be surprised when they walk (and talk).

Tips:

• Build team recognition: Praise doesn’t always have to come from the top down. Teach your team to recognize one another.
  
  
• Make it personal: Recognition isn’t one-size-fits-all. Tailor it to each employee’s contribution. Check out my biggest ‘recognition mistake’ here.
  
  

4. You Micromanage

You can delegate and tell people you want them to think creatively in the workplace, but if you hover over them and nitpick every little thing they do, they won’t feel the sense of freedom that was promised.

Tips:

• Make room for creativity: Give people space to be creative, and bring you new ideas without shutting them down. It may not be a yes right now, but at least their opinion feels valued.

Empower employees: Let people take the reins on a new way of doing things. Let them fail and make mistakes, and then coach them on how to do it better next time.

There Is a Price of Ignoring the Warning Signs

Ignoring these QuitTok videos won’t make them go away. According to the National Workplace Trends Study, 29% of employees wouldn’t recommend their workplace to anyone, and nearly 1 in 3 are telling the world “run.” If you’re not tackling these issues head-on, you’re not just risking turnover, you’re risking your brand reputation.

Let’s be blunt, TikTok might be the microphone, but the real message is clear: today’s workers want purpose over the paycheck. They want to be recognized. They want to work for a company that actually lives its values.

So, leaders, take a hard look in the mirror. Are you living your mission, or just reciting it? Because your next trending video could be someone else’s resignation speech.

At Destination Workplace™, we help leaders put real action behind their mission statements—because we know the difference between “inspiring” posters and inspiring workplaces. Don’t be the next cautionary tale on TikTok. Work with Betsy Allen-Manning, the top leadership speaker and workplace culture expert in Dallas, and see how mission-driven leadership can turn your culture into a Destination Workplace™.

Ready to transform your mission from a memo to a movement? Visit  www.DestinationWorkplace.com to get started.

About Betsy: Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC, Betsy Allen-Manning is a leadership keynote speaker, workplace culture expert, and best-selling author who helps executives and HR leaders strengthen employee engagement, improve retention, and prepare for the future of work. Betsy’s thought leadership and original research in the National Workplace Trends Study and the Destination Workplace™ framework equips organizations with data-driven strategies to build cultures where people apply, engage, contribute, and stay. She is also the founder of an award-winning company known for providing top leadership training in Dallas, and is recognized for advancing leadership excellence and driving workplace culture transformations worldwide.