You've heard of 'quiet quitting'? 'Quiet hiring' trend offers advantages
In the past year, another "quiet" workplace trend has become increasingly popular. On the heels of "quiet quitting" and "quiet firing," neither of which are positive for employers or their employees, comes "quiet hiring" which offers a variety of potential advantages for organizations and their workforces.
A common link among these "quiet" trends is that the behaviors and practices that come under the umbrella of each trendy catch phrase are not entirely new. "Quiet hiring" has been a relatively common management technique that refers to filling talent gaps by using alternative methods. So instead of filling full-time jobs, employers move current employees into new positions, expand certain roles and/or hire part-time, contract or gig workers.
Those familiar with these well-tested techniques may be rolling their eyes about the new buzzword. In some industries and professions, filling talent gaps through creative means has long been crucial to running a successful business. But employers now faced with historically low unemployment rates and critical skills shortages have a heightened interest in out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to talent pipelines.
And so, the practices now defined as "quiet hiring" are worth considering when traditional hiring isn't yielding expected results. Even employers who have not yet experienced serious talent shortages are taking a proactive approach and incorporating quiet hiring techniques before they face more limited options.
The advantages of quiet hiring can accrue to the good of both the organization and the individual. In the case of internal promotions, job enlargement, or role expansion, current talent can be tapped to learn new skills, gain more experience, and take on new challenges. This, in turn, can lead to increased compensation, better benefits, and elevated engagement. Ideally, if employees are being empowered by their employer and see these opportunities as welcome, morale will be boosted and retention improved.
Managers, however, need to be aware of potential pitfalls including overloading workers with additional responsibilities, not providing enough training or ramp-up time, and setting expectations unreasonably high. Also, not all employees will perceive these development opportunities as welcome or be ready to step up when asked. It's important to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, instead handling each situation with individual care.
Another red flag to watch for is the potential adverse effect that quiet hiring could have on your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) efforts. It's important to track which employees are being promoted or offered advancement opportunities to ensure that there is no discrimination or inequitable treatment occurring. Ensuring that there is job-related rationale for all hiring and promotion decisions is always considered a best practice, even when hiring is quiet.
If your talent requirements necessitate looking at the external market, another attractive option is to hire part-time employees or tap into the gig economy by hiring temps or contract employees. Again, these techniques are far from new; over the past two decades many reputable sources have come into the market that support employers by providing candidates for less traditional work roles.
More recently, the pandemic caused many workers to rethink their priorities and make a conscious decision to not return to a regular, full-time job. In many industries, there are now more candidates looking for temporary gigs than typical jobs.
Quiet hiring is a welcome trend in my book because, if executed well, it will allow employers to upskill their current workforces, open up new opportunities for job or gig seekers, and improve overall organizational performance. Each employer will have to determine which practices prove most effective in creating their own formula for filling their talent pipeline.
• Mary Lynn Fayoumi is president and CEO of HR Source.