What is Quiet Hiring? The Silver Lining for Recruiters

Quiet Quitting, Quiet Firing, and now Quiet Hiring? Inside tips for how recruiters can drive new business during a recession.

What is Quiet Hiring?

"The phenomenon, which the media has been fixated on recently, involves either hiring short-term contractors or reassigning employees to new positions — or giving them additional tasks. Cross-training or retraining existing staff is far cheaper and faster than hiring, especially in as tight a labor market as there is now." (Cate Chapman, LinkedIn News)

Two most common examples of quiet hiring;

1. Training internal staff- employees take on additional workplace responsibilities to fill the labor shortage gap. (typically without a raise.)

2. Contract/ temporary employees- partnering with staffing firms to find short-term talent solutions. 

Why is Quiet Hiring a thing?

During uncertain economic times AKA a recession, companies always turn to the lowest risk & cost solution. it is a practice as old as time, "Quiet hiring isn’t an entirely new concept, but more companies are leaning into this trend to fill jobs given the ongoing talent shortage and fears of a potential recession." (Emily Rose McRae, Head of HR, Gartner)

Trending Concerns

Burn Out! While it might seem like a good idea to offload more projects and reassign the roles of existing employees, this can lead to a major point of tension. Your Quiet Hiring can easily devolve into a Quiet Quitter. 

By reworking your internal staff, you run the risk of your employees feeling overworked and underpaid. You may be ushering an employee into a role they don’t enjoy or feel comfortable with, possibly losing a good employee altogether. 

What does this mean for staffing agencies?

Start selling! In times when staying within a budget is the main priority, contract work can be a lifesaver. Now is the time to add contract into your staffing mix! According to the American Staffing Association, during the course of a year, America’s staffing companies hire 16 million temporary and contract employees. 

Ready to revolutionize your staffing recruitment process? Check out these other employment trend articles:

1. Great Resignation: Discover innovative strategies for sourcing candidates amidst the Great Resignation. Explore more insights here.

2. Quiet Quitting: Learn how to recruit "Quiet Quitters" and navigate the challenges of this emerging trend in the job market. Dive into the details here.

3. The Act Your Wage Trend: Break down the "Act Your Wage" trend and understand its implications for both job seekers and employers. Get insights here.

4. The Big Stay: Explore the phenomenon of "The Big Stay" and its impact on employee retention strategies. Discover more here.

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