“Recruitment is marketing. If you’re a recruiter nowadays and you don’t see yourself as a marketer, you’re in the wrong profession.” – Matthew Jeffrey, global head of sourcing and employment at SAP
Last year, a wave of “quiet quitting” crept through the workforce. Rather than giving their all, employees shifted their focus from work to their personal lives. This “just enough to get by” attitude left additional workforce gaps for employers already struggling to cover the bases.
Following the Great Resignation, workers found multiple means of expressing their pandemic-inspired work-life priority shift. Unfortunately, while they remained “on the job,” many employees found the temptation to slack off too strong to resist. This getting-by mentality left employers understandably unsettled and frustrated. But compared to the effort of finding a new workforce, retaining unproductive workers seemed like the lesser of two evils. Fortunately, the trend fell short of going viral and lost steam as 2022 came to a close.
The proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” may have come into play to counteract the quiet quitting trend. Dubbed “quiet hiring,” this practice is a misnomer since no hiring occurs. Instead, picture it as a tug-of-war between Team Do-As-Little-As-Possible and Team Ask-Them-To-Do-More.
Each side blames the other for the current state of its office culture. But this negative focus turns a blind eye toward potential positive aspects of the quiet hiring trend. The past three years of upheaval in staffing have proven that unexpected benefits can crop up in the most unexpected places.
So, let’s unpack the what and the how of “quiet hiring” with a keen eye for the positives. HINT: They exist on both sides of the hiring equation.
The mechanics of “quiet hiring” are relatively simple. Current employees receive more responsibilities, allowing the company to fill gaps without adding names to the roster. Sometimes, these new assignments fall outside the quiet hire’s current areas of expertise.
While the scales appear to be tipped heavily in the employer’s favor in this scenario, there’s also plenty of potential for the quiet hire. Here are some perks that could open doors to many opportunities.
– Learning new skills.
– Sharing ideas.
– Developing natural abilities.
– Challenging personal and professional growth.
– Accelerating career goals.
– Increasing professional connections.
– Meaningfully impacting the company, the community – and beyond.
– Pursuing dreams.
What’s in it for employers?
This trend resembles the recent shift toward valuing skills ahead of credentials. Folks are recognizing just how short-sighted it’s been to emphasize training above natural ability. The professional world has finally accepted that people with adjacent skills can successfully step into related positions. And it’s O.K—really. In a nutshell, this is what “quiet hiring” is all about.
Selling both sides of the workforce on the win-win nature of “quiet hiring” is the key to overall success. Naysayers may rant about injustice or potential failure. But the bottom line is clear: “quiet hiring” can be a mutually profitable scenario for both the company and the worker because . . .
– Improved retention rates benefit everyone.
– Better employee engagement benefits everyone.
– Reduced time and money spent recruiting and onboarding benefits everyone.
While we hate admitting it, the ongoing talent shortage has shifted from acute to chronic. The talent war will continue to be a major hurdle for many industries. But “quiet hiring” offers a practical tool for combating troublesome job market realities. And that’s a good thing.
Unlike the quiet nature of this hiring strategy, there’s nothing quiet about how ASJ Partners tackles marketing initiatives for recruiting and staffing agencies. From website and mobile app design to email and newsletter marketing content, our experienced team will customize strategies to fit your brand’s needs. Reach us by telephone at 610.930.5300 or by email at weneedhelp@ASJpartners.com.
