Word of the Week: Quiet hiring

Unlike traditional recruitment methods, which involve public job postings and extensive candidate outreach, quiet hiring focuses on maintaining a level of secrecy throughout the process. Employers often engage with potential candidates using confidential channels, such as personal referrals and direct networking.

One of the benefits of quiet hiring for the organisation is that it is cost-effective and saves time and resources. For employees, it can come with a raise in pay, additional perks such as bonuses, or the ability to ask for other benefits such as flexible hours and more. But most importantly, it results in the opportunity to work on existing skill sets and engage with more colleagues and new teams in the organisation.

According to Forbes, while quiet hiring does benefit an organisation, it could result in frustration among employees who don't necessarily want to change to roles they may not be interested in.

McRae also warns of an "inherent tension" when quiet hiring. If employers fail to communicate with employees about why they have been transferred, for how long they are expected to be in the role, or performance measures or KPIs, it may end up in employees feeling less valued.

Therefore, quietly hired employees should be clear about what they are expected to do from the start. It is also important to consider that they ask for all the support and training required for a smooth transition and discuss success metrics.

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