What's Quiet Hiring And How Does It Affect Your Company?
A strategy that has gained momentum in recent years for companies trying to reduce their costs is quiet hiring. This involves giving more work to existing employees who are already in your talent pool instead of hiring new ones. Quiet hiring can take many forms, such as assigning additional responsibilities to employees with spare time or combining different roles to create new positions. While this approach may seem beneficial for employees looking for career advancement opportunities and for the company's bottom line, there are also risks involved. We'll explore every aspect of quiet hiring in this article.
The Pros Of Quiet Hiring
Saves Time And Costs
There are many costs associated with the hiring process, such as job advertising and recruitment fees. Also, it's a time-consuming procedure since the HR team must check several resumes, schedule interviews, and finally decide on the perfect hire. This can take up to several weeks or even months, and the more lengthy the process is, the higher the cost. However, if a company decides to promote its current employees or give them new responsibilities, all the above expenses and processes can be avoided.
Boosts Employee Morale
If a company offers its employees the chance to take on fresh duties and advance their careers, they feel that their hard work is being recognized. This can boost their satisfaction at work and, ultimately, increase their productivity levels. Furthermore, employees promoted from within are already familiar with the company's operations and, thus, are more likely to be high performers from day one, which will boost their confidence. Plus, when your employees know that there's a possibility of promotion, they'll feel motivated to try harder and are more likely to stay in the company.
Bonded Teams
People that have been in your company for a long time have most likely created bonds with their colleagues. Usually, some of them have already collaborated one way or another or have met during breaks, etc. When you promote internally and assign your existing employees other roles, you create tight-knit teams that are instantly productive, and they don't need to spend time training and acclimating a new hire. Cross-departmental collaboration also becomes more manageable, and operations run more smoothly.
Reduced Risk
You already know the skills and knowledge of your existing employees, as well as their work ethic. This way, you can rest assured that you've made the right decision for the role you want to fill by giving it to one of your current staffers. Thus, quiet hiring improves the overall quality of your hires and reduces the risk of making the wrong decision or welcoming a member that doesn't fit your company's culture. Additionally, employees start experiencing healthy competition between them since they're always trying to improve their skills and differentiate themselves from others in future promotions. So, you know that you'll always have the right people in the right roles.
The Downsides Of Quiet Hiring
Tired Employees
There's always the risk of overworking your employees if you give them more responsibilities and assign them additional roles without them receiving extra compensation. Your team members will become burned out and feel discouraged over time. Also, they'll be more likely to have complaints about work conditions or even try to seek a different job elsewhere. So, make sure they have the necessary support and reconsider their salaries, bonuses, or benefits. You can also focus on their well-being and offer them more flexible options, like remote work, schedule adjustments, and other measures that will make their workload lighter.
Lack Of Diversity
It's important to employ people from diverse backgrounds since they all bring different perspectives and ideas to the company. When you practice quiet hiring, you are at risk of missing out on those opportunities, which may harm your brand image. So, try promoting existing diverse employees or even celebrating diversity with events, training, and charity efforts. You can also make it a priority to join programs that let you recruit candidates from underrepresented groups when you decide to hire externally again.
Low Quality Of Work
Employees who feel overworked and underappreciated tend to produce less work and usually don't go above and beyond. They may rush into their projects or fail to meet deadlines. This leads to results that don't meet the company's standards and, in turn, to dissatisfied customers and lost projects. You need to be careful in the way you redistribute responsibilities and roles to avoid jeopardizing your business and respect your employees' boundaries and stamina. During times when your employees' workload is heavy, try to give them more time for projects or prioritize the important ones.
Legal Implications
It's not far-fetched for your company to have legal implications when you ask your employees to take on more responsibilities. This is because they may not be trained appropriately for the role and are underqualified. If something serious happens, such as an employee injury or a serious mistake, there may be legal issues because what you've asked them to do isn't in their job description. Additionally, if an employee suffers from mental and physical health issues due to work overload, your company may be held liable for their medical expenses. Ensure that every employee is in compliance and implement safety training programs. Moreover, make sure there's always space for them to express their concerns and seek help if they struggle with their mental health.
Conclusion
Quiet hiring is a cost-effective approach that can both benefit and hurt your business. Ultimately, it's up to each organization to decide whether quiet hiring is the right move to cut down on costs. In some cases, it may be just a temporary solution to fill positions or deal with urgent company matters. One of the best ways to tap into your existing talent pool and ensure they have all the core competencies they need is to launch an upskilling and reskilling program. Our list has the top content providers who specialize in skill building for your teams.
