AFTER the “great resignation” and “quiet quitting,” there’s now a new trend that is poised to shape the employment landscape – the so-called “quiet hiring.”

Posts about quiet hiring on social media platforms, especially on Tiktok, are gaining millions of views.

But what is quiet hiring and how did it come into existence?

What is quiet hiring?

Quiet hiring is the opposite of quiet quitting where employees just do the “bare minimum.”  

Human resource software firm Factorial defined quiet hiring as “when companies increase their productivity and fill skill gaps without hiring more full-time employees.”

Gartner, a human resources research firm, said it is a strategy to address business needs by assigning existing employees to new roles or expanding existing employees’ responsibilities. It could also refer to the act of hiring temporary workers to perform particular tasks. 

Quiet hiring may also involve reassignment of workers. Those who usually work above and beyond their job description are given new roles. 

Others see quiet hiring as just a rebrand of an old workplace practice of maximizing existing workforce in order to get the job done.

But why is it beginning to dominate the current employment landscape? 

Quiet hiring amidst recession fears 

Quiet hiring is happening amidst mass layoffs, especially in the technology industry, and the fear of continuous economic challenges this year. 

According to the World Bank (WB), the global economy is predicted to experience further slowdown this 2023 and may even be headed to a recession.

Worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected to be just 1.7 percent, which according to WB’s economists, is the “lowest since the early 1990s, outside of global recessions.”

But how does the fear of economic recession lead to quiet hiring? 

During an economic crisis, businesses are usually expected to keep their costs down. Hence, they have to maximize their current resources while increasing productivity. 

Is quiet hiring bad?

While some may see quiet hiring as employers’ revenge to quiet quitters, or some may deem it as disadvantageous to employees, human resource managers see this as a win-win strategy for employers and workers. 

How?

If the strategy is carried out well, it can benefit both parties. 

According to Factorial, employers can benefit immediately because quiet hiring may reduce companies’ expenses while at the same time, expect an increase in productivity. 

Employees, on the other hand, can also benefit from additional pay as extra work may also mean additional compensation. Workers can also see this as an opportunity for career growth and extra training. 

In fact, according to the survey conducted by global employment website Monster, a majority of workers are open to quiet hiring, with 63 percent saying they view it as “an opportunity to learn new skills.” 

However, Gartner’s Senior Director of Research Emily Rose McRae highly encouraged transparency where employers explain the reason why quiet hiring needs to be implemented.