What is Quiet Hiring?
Quiet quitting was the trend of 2022 when workers showed their anger over wages and long working hours by choosing not to do anything more than what is necessary to keep their job within the required hours. 2023 brings a new trend called “Quiet Hiring”.
Quiet Quitting involves employees doing the bare minimum of what their job requires. Quiet Hiring on the other hand involves employers trying to acquire more talent and bandwidth without hiring more people.
Two Types of Quiet Hiring
External Quiet Hiring – Avoid hiring new employees by bringing on short-term contractors to do a particular job.
Internal Quiet Hiring – Looking internally and accessing who can progress into a slightly different role and learn new skills.
Benefits for Employers
Reduce Expenses
Quiet Hiring can reduce employee costs as the recruitment process can be costly as it would take time for a new employee to learn the company culture and processes.
Target Skills Gaps
Employers can find contractors who are qualified to fill skill gaps that are in need. A way to find a skills gap and understand employee stress levels is by conducting stay interviews regularly.
Decrease Burnout
Contracting external temporary staff to take on extra projects can reduce burdens and burnout for existing employees.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
Bringing in specialists and experts on a part-time basis means new perspectives and innovation which can take the company a step further than the competition.
Recognising Top Performers
Internal quiet hiring can serve as a tool to recognise employees who have gone above and beyond. Putting trust in employees with new projects is a way of saying that you see their progress and know they can handle a new challenge.
What Employees Should Know
Clear Expectations
Employees will need to know what their responsibilities will look like and how they should prepare when taking on new responsibilities or new roles.
Extra Training
If employees must learn new skills to do their new responsibilities effectively, then training and development tools should be provided. Employees should be aware of what help and support are available for them in their new role.
Long-Term Careers Goals
Employees should know how the new experience and training can help them prepare for a different role or qualify for a promotion.
Salary Increments
If employees are taking on extra work, it's completely understandable that they would expect to be remunerated for the extra time and effort.