Many companies are using the tactic of “quiet hiring” to obtain necessary talents without adding additional full-time workers. By temporarily assigning workers to tasks supporting the most important divisions of the company, quiet hiring attempts to address an urgent employment demand.
Internal quiet hiring
Internal quiet hiring describes the temporary use of resources already present in the organisation for new roles or tasks. Employees from other teams may be moved to another team that requires urgent assistance to fill in the gaps in order to complete a project.
Another method of internal quiet hiring is when companies are giving employees, particularly those who are performing well, more work rather than adding more staff to handle increased jobs. In essence, they are expanding the scope of their responsibilities or preparing them for a promotion in the future, however, this isn’t guaranteed.
External quiet hiring
In most cases, using freelancers from outside the company to temporarily cover employee shortages is referred to as external quiet hiring. Freelancers would only be employed on an as-needed basis, such as to assist with a newly launched project or work on an extremely busy project. Once the project has been completed, the company will resume business as normal without the assistance of the external freelancer, unless new requirements develop.
Advantages of quiet hiring
Employers can gain immediate and long-term benefits when quiet hiring is done ethically. At Devonshire, we think external quiet hiring is a great way to save costs and get projects done efficiently without hiring a full-time employee. Our Senior Creative Recruiters have pointed out many benefits of freelancers and have provided some examples:
- Decrease costs – Quiet hiring can be a very successful strategy for businesses trying to cut personnel costs when compared to the recruitment process. To fill any specific skill gaps that exist, employers can locate contractors that are more specifically suited.
- Reduce burnout – Employers can help existing employees feel less burdened and less burned out by hiring temporary workers from outside sources to help with some of the extra work.
- Keep up with trends – Part-time hiring of professionals and experts results in fresh ideas and viewpoints. In other words, original concepts that will set you apart from the competitors.
- Reward your best employees – In addition to increasing productivity and filling in talent gaps, internal quiet hiring can be used to reward staff members who go above and beyond. By giving staff new initiatives, you are demonstrating that you are aware of their development and that they are up for the challenge.
How does quiet hiring operate?
Both sides of the HR process are expected to profit from covert hiring. It enables the employer to accomplish the desired outcomes with the available resources, while it might also indicate a change in the employee’s career. Yet, a comprehensive assessment of employee needs and the provision of new roles to individuals who are considering leaving the company are prerequisites for a successful reaction to such a circumstance.
Why has quiet hiring gained so much traction?
Due to what appears to be skill scarcity in the market, the phenomenon of stealth hiring has emerged. It will be most popular with businesses that are unable to afford to acquire new full-time staff owing to internal issues or the effects of the current economic climate. The ability to temporarily shift existing resources or hire a freelancer on the side to areas of need will be well-received given that some businesses are having to slow down hiring.
Some HR experts even think that quiet hiring will end the problem of quiet quitting because it gives workers new options for progress at their current jobs, encouraging them to pick up skills they didn’t already have or hone those they did.
In conclusion, if stealth hiring is done in the correct way, then it can often be the best option to sustain expected productivity and workflows without adding more permanent staff (which is always a burden on the budget). Internal quiet hiring is suited to those employees who are willing to take on extra responsibilities and upskill themselves, however it should not be forced, as this could have the opposite effect and may lead to ‘quiet quitting’.
We believe the fairest way for all parties involved is to temporarily hire a freelancer to take on these strains of the business. If you’re looking to bring on some new external freelancers to help take away some of your business’ stresses, then we have a large talent pool readily available to assist you and can even hire a completely external agile team to assist. Get in touch with us for more information on how to approach quiet hiring and we’d be more than happy to help!
