The employee talking the loudest in the meeting might not be the most confident person in the room. They might be the most afraid of losing their job.
A workplace trend known as loud working is gaining attention as employees become increasingly concerned about job security. Instead of allowing their performance to speak for itself, some workers are making sure their bosses see every accomplishment, every contribution, and every reason they should remain employed.
And given the uncertainty surrounding hiring and layoffs, it's not difficult to understand why.
But there's something fascinating happening underneath all that self-promotion.
While employees are working harder to control how they're perceived, their bodies may be communicating something entirely different.
Through my studies in nonverbal behavior, including Joe Navarro's Body Language Academy, I've learned that some of the most meaningful signals aren't necessarily found in someone's facial expressions. They're in how people occupy space, position their shoulders, and physically respond to those around them.
Let's look at three behaviors that can become particularly interesting when job security feels uncertain.
1. Territorial Displays: When Confidence Takes Up More Space
Watch what happens when someone wants to establish authority in a meeting.
They might spread their belongings across the conference table, lean back with their arms extended, or adopt a more expansive posture.
In nonverbal communication, these are examples of territorial displays.
Territorial behavior involves how we claim, occupy, and manage physical space. It can communicate status, perceived authority, confidence, or social position.
Think about the executive sitting comfortably at the head of a conference table. Compare that with the newer employee sitting quietly, arms close to their body, occupying as little space as possible.
The difference can be striking.
Now introduce job insecurity.
An employee concerned about their standing might deliberately become more physically assertive. Their gestures grow larger. They occupy more space. They work harder to command attention.
Does that mean they're hiding insecurity?
Not necessarily.
Some people naturally communicate expansively, and occupying space can reflect personality, culture, or the expectations of a particular workplace.
But here's where observation becomes useful.
When someone's territorial behavior suddenly changes, ask yourself what changed in their environment.
Did management announce restructuring? Was a promotion awarded to someone else? Did a new executive enter the room?
Sometimes the most valuable information isn't the behavior itself. It's the moment the behavior changes.
2. Turtling: When the Body Tries to Disappear
Now consider the opposite behavior.
During a meeting, a manager asks an employee about a project that's behind schedule.
The employee begins explaining. Their shoulders slowly rise toward their ears. Their neck appears shorter. Their posture becomes smaller.
This behavior is sometimes called turtling, or a weak shoulder display.
It's one of the more interesting nonverbal behaviors discussed in Navarro's work.
Under certain circumstances, people experiencing discomfort, vulnerability, or diminished confidence may physically contract. Their shoulders rise, their heads lower, and their bodies appear to protect themselves.
It's almost as though the body is attempting to make itself less noticeable.
Imagine the contrast.
Five minutes earlier, the same employee was animated, relaxed, and freely gesturing while discussing a successful project.
Then the conversation shifts to potential layoffs.
Their shoulders rise. Their movements become restricted. Their energy changes.
That's worth noticing.
Not because you've discovered some secret truth about the employee, but because the timing suggests that something about the conversation may have affected their comfort.
A good manager shouldn't use that observation to accuse, pressure, or embarrass someone.
Instead, it might be an opportunity to slow down and ask a better question.
"Is there something about these changes that's concerning you?"
The objective isn't to expose someone's discomfort. It's to recognize it early enough to respond appropriately.
And in a workplace where employees may be reluctant to admit uncertainty, that awareness can be valuable.
3. Synchrony: The Invisible Behavior That Can Reveal Connection
This third behavior is one of my favorites because most people never consciously notice it.
It's called synchrony.
When people develop rapport, they sometimes begin coordinating their physical behavior.
They might lean forward at similar moments, adjust their posture in response to each other, gesture at comparable rhythms, or naturally match their walking pace.
You see forms of this in friendships, romantic relationships, teams, and ordinary workplace conversations.
Now consider what happens when employees become concerned about their standing within an organization.
During a leadership meeting, one employee may become increasingly attentive to the manager's reactions.
The manager leans forward. The employee follows.
The manager adopts a more relaxed posture. The employee gradually relaxes as well.
The employee may be seeking connection, approval, or a sense of belonging. Or the movements could simply reflect normal conversational coordination.
Synchrony alone doesn't establish which explanation is correct.
But it opens up an interesting question:
How much of our workplace behavior is about communicating information, and how much is about communicating that we belong?
Human beings are deeply social. Feeling accepted, valued, and connected can influence how we interact with those around us.
And when employment feels uncertain, those social dynamics may become especially important.
For leaders, recognizing these patterns can encourage greater awareness of how their own behavior affects the room.
A tense manager can influence the atmosphere of an entire meeting. A calm, attentive leader can help create space for more comfortable, productive communication.
That doesn't require pretending to be someone you're not.
It requires understanding that leadership is communicated through behavior as well as words.
The Biggest Mistake People Make When Reading Body Language
Here's where people often get this wrong.
They notice one behavior and immediately assign it a meaning.
Someone crosses their arms, so they must be defensive.
Someone avoids eye contact, so they must be dishonest.
Someone shrinks into their chair, so they must lack confidence.
Human behavior is considerably more complicated than that.
One of the foundational principles in Navarro's approach is the importance of context, behavioral baselines, and clusters.
You first need to understand how someone normally behaves.
Then you look for meaningful changes.
Finally, you consider what else is happening around them.
A territorial display doesn't automatically mean dominance. Turtling doesn't prove insecurity. Synchrony doesn't guarantee agreement.
But when several changes occur together, particularly around a meaningful event or conversation, they can give you a reason to pay closer attention.
The goal isn't mind reading.
It's learning to recognize when something may have changed before that change is put into words.
What Loud Working Reveals About Human Behavior
The growing conversation about loud working highlights something larger than office politics.
People want to be valued. They want to belong. And when their livelihood feels threatened, they may become more concerned with how others perceive them.
Some respond by speaking louder, promoting their accomplishments, or taking up more space.
Others withdraw, become cautious, or closely monitor the behavior of those with greater authority.
Neither response tells us everything about what's happening internally.
But both remind us that the workplace is more than a collection of job descriptions and performance metrics.
It's a constantly changing environment of human emotions, perceptions, expectations, and relationships.
And those dynamics can influence everything from employee retention to leadership effectiveness.
The Edge Belongs to the Person Who Notices the Change
You don't need to memorize hundreds of body language cues to become a better observer.
Start by noticing what most people overlook.
How does someone normally occupy space?
What happens to their shoulders when a difficult subject comes up?
Does their behavior become more coordinated with the people around them, or does that connection appear to change?
Then ask yourself the most important question:
What changed?
Because understanding human behavior isn't about making assumptions from isolated gestures.
It's about recognizing patterns, understanding context, and knowing when to respond differently.
At The Persuasion Edge, we teach individuals, leaders, and sales teams to recognize these subtle dynamics through behavioral science, body language intelligence, and practical communication strategies.
The next time you're sitting in a meeting, pay attention to more than who's speaking.
Notice what happens when the conversation changes.
You might discover that the most important part of the meeting was never spoken aloud.
Your Next Job Interview Starts Before the First Question
Understanding body language isn't just useful for reading coworkers or recognizing workplace insecurity. It can be especially valuable when you're sitting across from someone who holds your next career opportunity in their hands.
Before you've finished answering the first question, the interviewer is already forming impressions of your confidence, credibility, and competence. And while you're concentrating on giving the right answers, you may be overlooking subtle changes in their engagement, comfort, or hesitation.
At The Persuasion Edge, our job interview coaching goes beyond rehearsed answers. We teach you how to project confidence, recognize nonverbal signals, understand the psychology behind first impressions, and apply advanced persuasion and negotiation strategies when the stakes are high.
You could be the most qualified candidate in the room and still lose the opportunity because of how you're perceived. Don't leave your next career move to chance.
Discover Our Job Interview Coaching
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