One in five UK employees admit to “quiet quitting” — doing only the bare minimum at work — due to their skills and cognitive strengths being underutilised, according to new research.
The study of 2,000 UK employees found that businesses may be failing to address a critical factor in workplace motivation, leading to lower productivity and job dissatisfaction.
The research, conducted by performance platform Cognassist, reveals that a significant proportion of workers feel disengaged because their abilities are not being recognised or leveraged effectively. Almost three-quarters (74%) report a lack of meaningful opportunities to apply their skills, with 67% believing they are not working as productively as they could be.
Gen Z at Higher Risk of Disengagement
Younger workers, particularly those from Generation Z, are among the most affected. With this group set to become the largest segment of the workforce in the coming years, their attitudes towards work engagement are a growing concern. The study found that 65% of Gen Z employees feel their cognitive strengths are not being used effectively, while 28% are already “quiet quitting”.
The impact of this disengagement extends beyond immediate productivity concerns. Just 20% of Gen Z workers report being happy at work, and 84% believe their employers fail to offer sufficient professional development opportunities. Without intervention, businesses risk higher turnover and reduced long-term workforce stability.
Lack of Cognitive Awareness in the Workplace
Despite the clear link between cognitive alignment and employee engagement, many organisations have yet to introduce strategies to better understand their workforce’s strengths. The survey found that 88% of employees have never taken an assessment to identify their cognitive strengths. However, 64% believe their workplace would operate more effectively if employees had a clearer understanding of each other’s abilities and working styles.
Chris Quickfall, CEO and founder of Cognassist, said disengagement was not due to a lack of effort from employees but rather a misalignment between their strengths and their roles.
“Employees aren’t quiet quitting because they’re lazy or don’t want to work hard — workplaces aren’t set up to let them contribute in ways that match their strengths,” he said. “Too many businesses still rely on blanket engagement strategies that fail to tap into what actually drives performance and motivation: matching people’s strengths with the right work.”
Quickfall added that cognitive mapping offered a solution for HR teams striving to build a more engaged workforce.
“By understanding how employees think and work best, we can unlock higher motivation, productivity, and retention,” he said. “Fundamentally, a happy workforce is a productive one, and this comes from more than perks and culture initiatives. We all want to feel valued for our individual strengths and to be able to do work that is meaningful – and that’s what driving workers today.”
Rethinking Employee Engagement
With workplace engagement under increasing scrutiny, industry experts suggest that organisations must rethink how they support their employees. A more personalised approach to workplace development — one that aligns employees’ cognitive strengths with their responsibilities — could help reduce quiet quitting and improve productivity.
Employers that fail to act risk ongoing disengagement and lost potential, they say, while those that prioritise cognitive diversity and skill application will be better positioned to build a motivated, high-performing workforce.