Is Your Employee Just Task Masking?

TikTok isn't just viral dances and cooking hacks anymore—it's shaping how we talk about work. From "career catfishing" and "quiet quitting" to "task masking," these catchy trends have jumped from our screens straight into the workplace.

But behind the buzzwords, what’s really happening? Are people actually ghosting employers "for the vibes" or juggling two full-time gigs simultaneously? Or are these trends merely influencer hype, not based in reality? The latest data from BambooHR reveals whether these fads are fact or fiction.

In this report, we'll dive into some of the most popular workplace trends that have taken off on TikTok. BambooHR data from thousands of employees and HR professionals drawn from four workplace surveys reveals what's real, what's exaggerated, and what it all means for organizations like yours. The results may surprise you.

Career catfishing might sound intriguing, but it's causing real headaches for HR teams, especially in this era of remote interviews and work.

While only 6% of employees admit to accepting job offers without intending to start, an astonishing 37% of HR managers say they've encountered this phenomenon in the last year. Additionally, 40% of HR pros experience candidate ghosting during the interview process, with 25% attributing the increase directly to remote hiring practices.

One reason for this discrepancy may be the rise of AI job candidates: Gartner claims that by 2028, 1 in 4 job candidates will be fake.

In stark contrast to the Great Resignation, 54% of employees didn’t apply for any new roles in 2024, and an impressive 74% remained with their current employers throughout the year.

What's driving this newfound commitment? Financial security tops the list, with 72% of employees citing market uncertainty and satisfaction with their current salary and benefits.

Quiet quitting is about doing enough to get paid, but that’s it. While 27% of employees admit to doing this, it’s notably prevalent among Gen Z (39%).

We’ve also seen notable geographic trends: 40% of employees from New York and 29% of employees from California admitted to quiet quitting. As urban professionals openly question hustle culture, quiet quitting might be amplified in fast-paced metropolitan areas where burnout and work-life balance pressures dominate workplace conversations.

Many creators have contributed to this term going viral—most notably Zaid Tahir (@zaidleppelin) and Bryan Creely (@lifeafterlayoff)—but the most important point across the board is that this isn’t a new concept. Gen Z may be the most visible cohort, but everyone is feeling the need to put the breaks on hustle culture.

Like quiet quitting, the Great Detachment reflects a significant shift away from satisfaction to disillusionment and fear. A significant number of employees (73%) engage with "anti-work" social media content, with 31% doing so frequently, highlighting how online narratives can influence workplace attitudes.

Financial insecurity also translates into an increased sense of instability and anxiety about job security:

• 48% of those with little to no savings say they are more anxious about job security than ever in their career.
• 37% of those with moderate savings feel similarly anxious.
• 26% of financially secure employees share this anxiety.

While she didn’t coin the term, creator Laura Whaley (@loewhaley) has popularized this concept of detaching from work by weaving boundary-setting and detachment themes into her widely viewed #WorkBestie TikToks—sparking conversations that resonate with employees questioning the traditional work mindset.

Side hustles have gone mainstream, with two-thirds (66%) of workers either starting or considering additional employment alongside their primary job.

Most Gen Z (83%) and Millennial (72%) employees have been inspired to start additional income-generating activities outside of their main job, compared to 43% of Boomers and 61% of Gen X employees.

This trend goes all the way to the top—an impressive 72% of VP/C-suite have also been inspired to start side hustles, along with 66% of managers/directors and 61% of ICs.

Just 15% of employees admit to task masking—appearing busy without real productivity—but it adds to a wider trend of work theater. The vast majority of in-office (79%) and remote (88%) workers feel the need to prove they’re being productive.

Meanwhile, 53% report creating "work barriers"—intentionally complicating their roles in an attempt to reduce their layoff risk.

TikTok creators like Natalie Marshall (@corporatenatalie) helped popularize the term, and are reacting to this trend with advice of their own for how to look busy and the right corporate jargon to use to belong.

Gen Z may be the face of the “stare,” but the data shows they’re actually the most attuned to the social disconnection others miss: 28% of Gen Z observed a lack of etiquette around social norms after an RTO, compared to 17% of Millennials, 17% of Gen X, and only 12% of Boomers.

In addition, 38% of Gen Z say they’ve noticed coworkers glued to screens even in face-to-face settings—more than any other generation (Millennials 28%, Gen X 30%, Boomers 23%), implying that Gen Z is not the only group struggling with face-to-face social cues—they are simply more observant. Their heightened sensitivity, not naivete, around eye contact and etiquette aligns with what we’re seeing labeled as the “stare.”

The term went viral on TikTok in mid-2024, with videos showing young employees reacting to awkward in-person moments with quiet stillness and deadpan expressions. What seemed strange to older generations quickly became a relatable shorthand for workplace overstimulation.

The data makes one thing clear—what goes viral on TikTok doesn’t stay on TikTok. These trends reflect deeper shifts in employee values, workplace expectations, and HR’s evolving role. For HR leaders, it’s all about understanding the forces behind them and shaping environments where people thrive.

To learn more about the new workplace normal, dive into other BambooHR Data at Work reports.

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