Have you heard of ‘quiet’ quitting or ‘quiet’ firing? Changing workplace dynamics due to the pandemic gave rise to these terms. ‘Quiet’ quitting refers to employees who just show up and do the bare minimum. By the same token, ‘quiet’ firing refers to pushing someone out the door without actually terminating them. They could leave because the manager fails to coach and develop them, or, at worst, the manager creates a toxic work environment.
There’s a new ‘quiet’ in town: ‘quiet’ hiring. A www.entrepreneur.com article indicates it is a new trend that may dominate hiring this year.
‘Quiet’ hiring refers to adding new skills and filling gaps without actually hiring full-time employees. It comes in two forms – internal and external – according to Gartner research expert Emily Rose McRae.
Internal ‘quiet’ hiring refers to moving current employees to other roles or giving them different assignments or tasks. External ‘quiet’ hiring means hiring short-term contractors instead of taking on more full-time employees.
“The reality for the next year is — whether or not we go into a recession — everyone’s a little nervous,” said McRae. “In a lot of cases, organizations are not necessarily doing a hiring freeze or layoffs, but maybe slowing down a little bit on their hiring.”
‘Quiet’ hiring might be a good solution for employers to ensure workplace efficiency without causing financial strain, but its success or failure could hinge on one thing: communication. Without adequate transparency about the reasoning behind the decision, some employees might view the shift from their current role to another one as a signal that they aren’t needed and therefore begin looking for other job opportunities.
According to McRae, employers should be clear about what the move means for employees and assure them of their importance. “If you’re asking a bunch of people to make this move, you should be able to articulate: What does this mean for them?” Employers should be able to reiterate how the move helps the organization as well as enhance the individual’s strengths and career development.
For employees, McRae notes they may be able to leverage ‘quiet’ hiring to advance. If the company shares its plans to restructure, employees should consider how the pivot might actually help them in the long run and even position them for a promotion.
“This is a really good chance for employees to sit down and say to their managers, their HR people and the company as a whole, ‘Yeah, I’m willing to do this. Let’s talk about what this means for my career,’” commented McRae.
Google has used ‘quiet’ hiring effectively. They zero in on employees who are already going above and beyond, perhaps even taking on additional responsibilities that prove they have what it takes to excel in a given role. They don’t focus on employees who are not willing to go the extra mile.
Studies show that high achievers can produce 400% more than the average employee, so, from a business perspective, prioritizing them from the start just makes sense.
What about those ‘quiet’ quitters? They might not be safe for much longer. Labor experts say the employees who don’t go above and beyond could be let go first if recession fears become reality.
