Workforce experts in this video talk about the "quiet hiring" labor trend, which essentially means employers hiring contract workers or redeploying current employees to cover gaps instead of making permanent workforce investments. Gartner's Emily Rose McRae describes the trend as a "game-changer," while others raise concerns about companies asking workers to do more without additional compensation.
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Leaders can use behavioral nudging to subconsciously drive positive cultural change without potentially alienating employees with mandated changes, Amira elAdawi writes. "By providing easy, attractive options and still considering employee autonomy, long-lasting positive change can be achieved," elAdawi explains.
Flexibility and healthy work-life balance are figuring into people's job-seeking decisions more than ever, so employers should respond with updated, preference-driven benefits that meet their changing needs. They can offer staff members lifestyle benefit stipends for services such as Instacart or Uber, consider tax-free reimbursements for employees who buy coverage through the HealthCare.gov marketplace, and add benefits that stress inclusion and help people handle rising inflation.
Leaders can minimize the possibility of burnout by getting enough rest, actively working to improve their own mental health and empowering employees to solve their own problems by setting good boundaries, writes Marlene Chism. "When it comes to setting and enforcing boundaries, someone is going to be unhappy, but it doesn't always have to be you," Chism writes.
And another workforce trend is upon us: quiet hiring. This practice, defined as hiring contract workers or training current employees for new assignments instead of hiring new workers, is gaining traction in various organizations, according to our top story today. As the economy slows, more employers are using this practice to help fill talent gaps and maintain productivity.
I get it. Hiring is extremely expensive and time-consuming; recruiting and training can take weeks, if not months. Work doesn’t stop during this time. You must pivot to meet demand.
I went through this last year. We had more projects coming at us. We were recruiting for new editors, but progress was slow. I had to get creative to fill the gaps.
So, I assessed the skill sets on my team and weighed them against the work that had to be done. Then it was a matter of moving players around the field. We shuffled people and assignments. We trained folks to use systems they hadn’t used before. I handed some projects to other editors and they’re managing them 10 times better than I was.
We also removed inefficient processes and low-priority tasks and meetings. This was important. If we were going to ask folks to do something new -- or do more -- we needed to give them the time to do it. They couldn’t be bogged down by minutiae and a cluttered calendar.
It’s working. Some things have been slow to integrate, but that’s fine. The important thing is that we keep moving.
Some experts have cautioned against "quiet hiring" saying that if it’s not done right, it can open the doors to wage theft and labor abuse. I can see how that could happen. That’s a fair concern.
So be smart if you implement this. Consult your HR department about protocol and do right by your team.
Are you already doing "quiet hiring"? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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