The Truth Behind Quiet Hiring (And How To Approach It)

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Move over, quiet quitting. There’s another “quiet” HR trend in town – it’s called quiet hiring. “When employees quiet-quit, organizations keep people but lose skills and capabilities. In 2023, savvy HR leaders will turn this practice on its head with quiet hiring in order to acquire new skills and capabilities without adding new full-time employees,” according to Gartner, which named hiring the No.1 future of work trend of 2023. 

“Put simply, quiet hiring is a reallocation of resources by employers to fix hiring issues, a movement of skills from one area of the business to another to plug a more urgent skills gap,” says Suzie Finch, founder and CEO of The Career Improvement Club. Gartner predicts quiet hiring will manifest in three ways: A focus on internal mobility to ensure workers address the most pressing priorities; stretch and upskilling opportunities for existing employees; and alternative ways to address gaps, such as outsourcing work. 

Is quiet hiring ethical? 

Quiet hiring sounds like an employer’s dream in this economy. It’s all about making the most of your current capabilities. That being said, it has to be done ethically. “In the majority of cases, quiet hiring is technically legal. However, is it ethical? That really depends on the context. In certain situations, it can be an opportunity for growth, learning, and development,” says Martin Gasparian, owner and attorney at Maison Law. According to him, quiet hiring can also be a way to avoid layoffs by moving employees in different roles.

This all sounds great in theory, especially if quiet hiring is accompanied by the appropriate training and support. Unfortunately, it isn’t always the case, and that’s when ethical lines get crossed. “Quiet hiring is sometimes used to encourage employees to take on extra responsibilities without getting anything in return. The incentive may be a potential promotion, which fails to materialize, for instance,” says Gasparian. “Employees may find themselves doing more work without the promised pay rise or perks. A lack of transparency can make it difficult for employees to challenge this, and they may feel forced into a situation they’re not comfortable with.”  

Imagine getting shuffled around without context or conversations about your career development. It could very quickly kill your morale. However, with the appropriate approach, quiet hiring can benefit both employees and employers. “Personally, I believe this is an excellent approach and is beneficial for both parties. Over time employers benefit from a flexible, fluid and adaptable workforce, whilst employees get the opportunity to expand skill sets and try new things,” adds Finch. “A lot is made of skills shortages, especially amongst skilled workers, therefore businesses need to adapt to remain competitive. As long as employees are not exploited, I see this as an excellent outcome for both.” 

How to approach quiet hiring 

To avoid veering into exploitation territory, transparency and integrity are key, says Gasparian: “If employers want to practice quiet hiring, it’s essential that they do so with integrity, honesty, and communication. They need to be clear about what benefits an employee can expect, and they need to honor their promises.” 

Honoring promises and avoiding confusion can get challenging if there are multiple changes happening across the organization. A project management tool like Hive can help you maintain visibility into what people are working on by providing a bird’s eye view of tasks and projects. In addition, a service like Remote can be leveraged to ensure compliance and manage benefits if the business has multiple international employees working remotely.

For example, let’s say that an administrative assistant who reports to you has taken on a project in the marketing department. They have graphic design skills that have not been utilized in their current role and are interested in getting hands-on experience and training. It’s a win-win as far as quiet hiring goes. But you don’t just want to leave it at that. 

You need to remain aware of the tasks they’re working on in both departments to avoid overloading them with deliverables. You’ll also want to focus on employee recognition – quiet hiring shouldn’t translate into quiet feedback. More than 40% of employed Americans say they’d put more energy into their work if they were recognized more often. And 63% of people who are often recognized at work consider themselves “very unlikely” to seek a new job in the next 3-6 months, according to a survey by Bonusly and SurveyMonkey. So if you’re quietly hiring, keeping track of wins so you can celebrate them is a must. 

With the insights above and the right tech, you can make the most of this new trend while preserving a positive employee experience.