The word is out on quiet hiring, so what do employers need to know in order to develop their organisations using this method?
Becoming more than just a corporate buzzword, quiet hiring is defined as the practice of acquiring new organisational skills, without the burden of onboarding additional full-time employees. Largely attributed to Emily Rose McRae, now a senior director analyst at Gartner, the term was coined to describe how employers can tackle immediate business needs, in three different ways, with the most efficiency.
The first way to address the problem is to assign current staff to new roles. Secondly employers can expand an employee’s existing role, greatly increasing their responsibilities through new tasks and upskilling. Lastly, employers can hire temporary employees to bridge capacity gaps and perform specific duties. While organisations could implement each step individually, frequently employers will deploy a combination of the three.
But what of the companies that aren’t suited to this method, as not every organisation, or its teams, is going to have a work culture that supports such a disruptive model? With that in mind, before you consider a system of quiet hiring, check out the pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision on behalf of the company and the people who depend on it.
The bottom line
Pro: From a profit point of view, quiet hiring, for the companies that have a sound strategy, makes financial sense. By promoting in-house, developing skills internally, creating cross-functional teams and assigning tasks based on current projects, employers can avoid the often hefty costs associated with advertising, recruiting and onboarding.
Con: The downside, however, if you are constantly pulling from the same group of people, even if you work to further develop their abilities, is that you are limiting yourself to what is already at your disposal and have the potential to miss out on new talent. This can result in a workforce that lacks diversity and a unique perspective of the industry.
Make or break morale
Pro: Quiet hiring, when correctly implemented, is a sign to employees that if they work hard and commit to the company, then they will have significant opportunities to upskill and move up the ladder. Because a huge aspect of quiet hiring involves giving the current workforce more responsibilities, it is a system that promotes the idea that hard work is rewarded and all contributions are recognised. This can boost morale and retention.
Con: While quiet hiring can boost morale, it also has the potential to damage it, as if incorrectly run, it can lead to instances of favouritism whereby specific people are constantly the first in line for high profile projects and opportunities. Additionally, because tasks can be handed out based on business needs, rather than current capacity, talented employees can quickly become burned out.
Disruptive diversity
Pro: Disruption can be both good and bad and that is certainly the case when it comes to quiet hiring and skills diversity. By virtue of being a system that depends upon the ability to upskill anyone for any task, employees who work in a company that uses this method can become expertly skilled in a number of areas. It enables employees to access aspects of an organisation and their careers that they may not have previously considered.
Con: Disruption is exactly what it claims to be, disruptive, and not all interruptions to working life are universally welcomed. While it may suit contracted workers or even higher ups within an organisation, to be always on the move, the constant flow of people on temporary contracts and those moving between teams could be highly disruptive to those not used to such an active working environment.
Additionally, because there are more people present, spending less time there in the long-term, issues regarding training and continuity could arise, with little opportunity to resolve problems before the next cycle of employees begins to work its way around the organisation.
At the end of the day, quiet hiring when properly implemented, with the backing and support of the entire organisation, can give the workforce opportunities that they did not know were at their disposal. It also enables companies to scale and grow in a manner that is efficient and more cost effective.
While it has its drawbacks, it is a convenient, fast-paced and exciting model that has great potential in the hands of an employer and organisation that understands how best to utilise it. So, if you think a quiet hiring model is for you, why not soft launch your own version and get some feedback, to see if it’s a runner or not?
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