What Is Quiet Hiring – And Is It A Good Idea?

The trend for prefixing every part of the employee experience with ‘quiet’ may seem to have gone too far, but experts say the practice could be a ‘win win’ for businesses.

With skills shortages doubling between 2017 and 2022 to more than half a million, the new government has recently sought to address the issue through the creation of Skills England and plans to reform the apprenticeship levy. However, that has not stopped employers from reaching for their own solutions. 

You’ve heard of quiet quitting, quiet firing and quiet cutting. Now there is ‘quiet hiring’. But is the practice of more readily offering new responsibilities to existing staff, rather than going through a lengthy and costly recruitment process, anything new? Does it deserve its own buzz term – or has the trend for affixing ‘quiet’ to every stage of the employee lifecycle truly gotten out of hand? 

What Is It And Is It Anything New?

Quiet hiring is generally defined as when an organisation acquires new skills without actually hiring new full-time employees. It can refer to bringing on short-term contractors, but usually means giving current employees more responsibilities beyond their current job description.

Sound familiar? It does to Genevieve Nock, group HR director at New Directions. “Organisations have long reassigned duties and roles based on internal assessments of skills and business needs. Despite its growing popularity, I would say that quiet hiring is not a novel concept,” she tells People Management. 

Nock adds, however, that “what has changed is the context and the scale at which it is being recognised and discussed, particularly in light of economic pressures and evolving workforce dynamics brought on by events like the Covid pandemic”.

Mandy Watson, director of Ambitions Personnel, agrees that there has been a steep increase in employers looking internally rather than externally to plug skills gaps – to the extent that new nomenclature is perhaps justified.

“The current economic climate and budget constraints have made it more challenging for companies to expand their workforce. Additionally, the ongoing skills gap in various industries has prompted businesses to look internally for capable employees who can be upskilled or reskilled to meet new demands,” she says, adding that “by leveraging the existing talent pool, employers can save on recruitment costs and reduce the time it takes to fill critical roles”. 

So far, so appealing. So what’s the catch? Is there a danger of challenging economic circumstances pushing employers too far in this direction? Should businesses – whether they call it this or not – be resorting to quiet hiring? Or could it be doing more harm than good?

How Can It Impact Workplaces?

The first, most obvious question (the one likely to be asked straight away by those employees being quietly hired) is can you afford to pay people to take on extra duties? 

Quiet hiring typically involves a pay increase. But if this is not an option, employers should consider offering other benefits such as a bonus, flexible hours or additional time off. Otherwise there is a danger of resentment among staff and higher levels of that original ‘doing things quietly at work’ trendsetter: quiet quitting (typically defined as employees doing the bare minimum their roles require of them).

Watson says the good news is that quiet hiring – if implemented well, as above – can lead to increased employee engagement and job satisfaction as “employees often appreciate being recognised for their potential and given opportunities for career growth”. 

“Providing additional training and development can also enhance their skillsets, making them more valuable to the organisation and boosting overall productivity,” she adds. 

Agreeing that there are many potential upsides, Lisa Murphy, CEO of Limelite HR, describes the trend as a “win win” for businesses and employees, saying: “Not only does this approach add breadth and widen opportunities for employees, research has shown time and again that learning increases adaptability and flexibility on a company-wide level, meaning adapting to change and being more innovative comes more easily. 

“Employees who are learning are more engaged, they have a growth mindset, their wellbeing levels are higher and they are more likely to stay where a company invests in their development.”

However, it’s not all good news. Samantha Mullins, director of Latitude HR, warns that an over reliance on the current workforce can have negative consequences if not managed well. “These include [other] individuals feeling overlooked and the potential for burnout, groupthink, lack of diversity and employee relations issues,” she says, pointing out the danger of processes being more informal and less properly structured where someone is being ‘recruited’ internally rather than externally, leading to potential bias.

Nock agrees. “If not implemented transparently, quiet hiring can lead to perceptions of favouritism or unfairness,” she says. “Employees might feel overlooked or undervalued if they are not chosen for new roles or if they perceive a lack of clear criteria in the decision-making process.”

She adds that the risk of “overburdening employees” with additional responsibilities could negate the benefits of promoting internally if not managed carefully. 

Advice For Employers

Nock warns that quiet hiring requires a “careful balance” and employers “must ensure that the practice does not become a short-term fix that leads to long-term issues like employee dissatisfaction or turnover”. 

To achieve this balance, she advises: “Effective communication and support systems are crucial to ensure that employees understand the rationale behind the changes and feel supported in their new roles. Training and development programmes can help mitigate the risks of skill mismatches and burnout.”

Mullins agrees, saying that, to combat burnout, “companies should ensure their approach is aligned with individual aspirations, organisational skills plans and proactive succession planning, and that staff are appropriately remunerated and the selection process is fair”.

She adds: “Developing and promoting from within has always been good practice when supported by a fair and structured process and individuals are given the support, capacity and development they need.”

Watson concludes that, overall, while it could come with benefits for businesses and workers, employers should approach quiet hiring “thoughtfully”. 

“It’s essential to ensure that the process is transparent and that employees are genuinely interested in taking on new roles,” she says. “Regular feedback and support systems must be in place to help employees succeed and feel valued. 

“By investing in their existing workforce and providing the necessary training and support, employers can create a more dynamic and capable team ready to meet future challenges.”

 

Originally published on People Management, https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1881985/quiet-hiring-%E2%80%93-good-idea