Quiet Hiring: The Latest Trend in the Workplace

We have all seen a number of workplace buzzwords hit the headlines. Those terms refer to trends like “quiet quitting” and “quiet firing,”. “Quiet hiring” is the new workplace buzzword on the horizon that employees and employers need to be aware of.

What is Quiet Hiring?

Without work-life balance and resilience, employees will lack the imperative balance necessary for their well-being and experience symptoms of burnout.  From this, the phenomenon of “quiet quitting” is born. The term “quiet firing” is when management creates non-ideal work conditions to make an underperforming employee quit. So now, let’s dive into the latest trend “quiet hiring”.

Quiet hiring is when an organization either works with short-term contract employees, or more likely gives current employees more responsibilities beyond their current job description. These opportunities for current employees will open up new doors for retaining talent without the cost of a lengthy recruitment process. Quiet hiring is especially vital for organizations looking to retain high performers amid the persistent Great Resignation. It was ranked among the “top nine work trends for 2023” by technological research and consulting firm Gartner. Some examples of the trend include employees taking different projects on internally, or moving employees into other positions.

What does Quiet Hiring look like in the workplace?

An organization will start by assessing its current workforce, mainly those who have gradually begun taking on responsibilities beyond their job description. Managers will then notice that these employees have effectively started working in the position they wanted before being given the job. These employees have already started the process of upskilling. The additional duties and responsibilities are normally accompanied with a raise, promotion, or an overall incentivizing perk thereby saving the employee a job search and the organization need to recruit new talent.

Quiet hiring really is nothing new in the workplace. Organizations have been practicing this for a long time. However, as organizations face financial hardship, the current status of the economy, and mass layoffs, this may explain the emergence of this new workplace trend.

What are the benefits of Quiet Hiring?

Organizations today face a competitive hiring landscape and the struggle to find new talent while retaining high performers. Hays 2023 Salary Guide states “51% of employees want higher compensation, 28% of employees are looking for promotional opportunities, and 21% of employees are looking for new challenges”. Quiet hiring could entice your employees to stay and continue their career path with your organization and avoid a lengthy recruitment process at the same time.

Here are some of the potential benefits of quiet hiring:

• Cost-effective way to fill skills gaps without hiring additional full-time employees
• Employees can be approached for new opportunities within their organization based on their skills and expertise
• Sense of stability and professional development for employees
• May protect employers and employees from future layoffs
• Demonstrates trusts and value with increasing responsibilities

However, the pitfall of quiet hiring is asking too much from employees who may already feel overworked and burning out. Overworked employees experiencing burnout is a main reason behind the trend of quiet quitting. Employers will want to establish honesty and transparency throughout this process. Working together as a team, and ensuring the employer and employee are both excited about the opportunity to expand skill sets and increase responsibility. Setting employees up with the right training and support they need to succeed will be necessary.

With employee retention a top priority for organizations, and career growth a top priority for employees, there’s never been a better time to implement the practice of quiet hiring in your workplace.

To find out more about the wide variety of services RLB People can provide you with contact the team at people@rlb.ca or visit their website at people.rlb.ca.