The Quandary of Quiet Hiring

Quiet hiring is the process by which a company gains new skills without recruiting new full-time personnel. In other words, firms may hire short-term contractors by assigning current employees additional obligations beyond the scope of their present jobs. While such instances are advantageous to firms, they have a detrimental impact on employees who are subsequently compelled to work beyond their contractual obligations. Hence, in this YouTube video on the “Ken Coleman Show” channel, he discusses how quiet hiring is harmful to both the firm and its employees.

Ken characterizes quiet hiring as weak leadership. He explains the most typical idea of what quiet hiring means to most of us as a process in which a corporation evaluates its present workforce and separates the specific individuals who may have gradually begun to take on tasks beyond their job description. He notes that most of the time, this may convey to managers the impression that they have begun working in a position that they may have wanted. As a result, whenever a company adopts some obligations out of necessity, it assigns those additional responsibilities to such employees.

While Ken believes that quiet hiring is the most typical response to an employee’s great resignation, he argues that firms do so for two key reasons. For starters, it eliminates the need for a full-fledged hiring spree. Second, it assists them in meeting their immediate requirements. This video also discusses that, given the negative implications of quiet hiring, it can only be done effectively if companies clarify what it means for those workers who are asked to work beyond their job description. He thinks that they should most likely anticipate a job promotion opportunity. However, most firms do not provide competitive compensation or career advancement in such situations. He believes that this is an open invitation to workplace conflict. Instead of meddling with transparency, he proposes that leaders just speak openly with their employees about their expectations and develop a work plan accordingly. Finally, he proposes that leaders demonstrate to their people that their jobs have significance, that they are valuable to the firm, and that they cultivate positive relationships with their employees. All of this helps leaders put together a great team in times of need, eliminating the need for quiet hiring in the first place.

Quiet hiring, while useful to corporations, is detrimental to employees, potentially risking the company’s retention rates. The preceding is what Ken had to say on the subject in the YouTube video on his channel.