1 week ago
Culture gaps drive India's quiet quitting as manager engagement falls
A study found that many Indian workers are doing their jobs but do not feel connected to them.
This is often called quiet quitting.
The study says weak workplace culture and a gap between company promises and daily reality are major reasons.
Other reasons include low trust, little recognition and few chances to grow.
Managers are also feeling less engaged than before.
Managers are important because they guide, support and recognise their teams.
The report says companies should choose managers for leadership ability, not only past job performance.
It also recommends better coaching, clearer communication and simpler work systems.
Gallup and the Institute of Directors, India, found 59% of Indian employees were not engaged in 2025.
Weak organisational culture or mismatched corporate values was the most cited explanation for quiet quitting.
Low trust, limited career development, inadequate recognition and unmeaningful work were also identified as contributing factors.
Manager engagement fell from 39% in 2024 to 30% in 2025.
The report urged companies to improve manager selection, coaching, communication, career paths and workplace processes.
- Who
- Gallup, the Institute of Directors, India, 181 IOD members and 27 senior leaders contributed to the report; Indian employees and managers were assessed in Gallup data.
- What
- The report examined quiet quitting, employee engagement and declining manager engagement in Indian workplaces.
- Where
- The survey was conducted through the Institute of Directors, India, platform, and concerns relate to workplaces in India.
- When
- The IOD survey was conducted online from May 14 to June 22, 2026; Gallup’s cited engagement figures cover 2025, with three-year rolling averages.
- Why
- Respondents most often attributed quiet quitting to weak organisational culture or misalignment between corporate values and workplace realities.
Employee-experience explanation
Management-and-systems response
What drives quiet quitting?
Employee-experience explanation
Employees may withdraw discretionary effort when company values do not match workplace reality, trust is low, work lacks meaning, recognition is inadequate or career growth is limited.
Management-and-systems response
Organisations may view the problem as one requiring stronger managers, better communication, coaching, improved team culture and less procedural complexity.
How should managers be chosen?
Employee-experience explanation
The report highlights employee needs for trustworthy leaders, support, recognition, meaningful work and opportunities to learn and grow.
Management-and-systems response
IOD respondents said managers should be selected for managerial talent and suitability, rather than promotion being treated mainly as a reward for past performance.
Key facts
- Employees not engaged
- 59% of Indian employees in Gallup’s 2025 workplace data
- Employees engaged
- 23% of Indian employees
- Actively disengaged
- 18% of Indian employees
- Manager engagement
- 30% in 2025, down from 39% in 2024
- Top cited cause of quiet quitting
- Weak organisational culture or values misalignment, selected by 42% of IOD respondents
- Survey participants
- 181 IOD members, alongside interviews with 27 senior leaders
- Manager impact
- Gallup estimates managers account for 70% of variation in engagement across teams
Quotes
Rashi Singh
Regional director of Gallup South Asia
“Organisations need to select people for manager talent, equip them to coach and remove the operating friction that prevents them from leading well.”
financialexpress.com
“India’s largest engagement opportunity lies with the 59% of employees who are present at work but not psychologically invested.”
financialexpress.com
Manoj K Raut
Chief executive officer and secretary-general of IOD India
“Employees are looking for more than just a job — they seek meaningful work, opportunities to learn and grow, recognition for their contributions, and leaders they can trust.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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