Quiet Hiring

There seems to be a new term in the world of workforce that seems to be an apt sequel to another term that was ubiquitous a while ago – Quiet quitting. We had written in detail about quiet quitting, in case you wish to have a quick recap. The new trend that is predicted to permeate the workplace and workforce goes by Quiet Hiring.

So, what exactly is quiet hiring? According to Gartner’s Emily Rose McRae , Quiet hiring is when an organization acquires new skills without hiring new full-time employees.

She further explains how sometimes, it means hiring short-term contractors (external quiet hiring). Other times, it means encouraging current employees to temporarily move into new roles within the organization(internal quiet hiring).

So where does Quiet hiring fit in the overall hiring strategy?

While hiring helps organizations that are growing with much needed talent and helps in backfilling roles, there are also times when hiring is imperative when there is an immediate need for talent. We have seen many hiring requirements fall under this category in the last couple of years as the market was dynamic and ever changing.

Quiet hiring seems to be the antidote to this sudden hiring need – to address a critical and important requirement.

External Quiet hiring and how it can help Organizations

Part of the Quiet hiring strategy also looks at outsourcing the requirement to staffing agencies to help keep things afloat and ensure talent availability to the most crucial business functions at any given time.

• Hiring temporary or contingent talent can help organizations when they have gaps to fill on an urgent basis for critical businesses but may not have additional headcount due to various reasons.
• Short – term contractors or contingent talent can help organizations with specialized skills without committing to a long-term hire or a full-time employee. This comes handy when organizations have projects that calls for specific skill set or knowledge with relevant expertise.
• Another advantage of engaging with contract talent is the breadth of expertise they bring with them as a result of various projects that they were a part of.
• Organization’s also do not have to worry about being tied to the contract past the project’s completion.
• This mode of hiring can also provide flexibility to hiring projections and planning by the Talent Acquisition team. It also allows Organizations to adjust their workforce to prioritize business functions with an acute need at any given time without having to incur excessive financial strain.

External Quiet hiring can be the ideal solution for immediate need with access to a talent pool that will be key to drive future success.

While it appears as the most effective and swift remedy to address quick short-term talent needs, organizations need to understand the pros and cons of quiet hiring and analyze how this strategy can best fit in their workforce planning. The key would be to find a balance on how best to deploy quiet hiring that helps amplify benefits and minimize risks.