Quiet hiring

In human resources, quiet hiring refers to the practice of having an employee take on a new responsibilities or a role within their company due to need.^[1] The role may be temporary or permanent, and the reassignment may not align with employee interests.^[1] Quiet hiring often occurs during economic slowdowns as a cost-saving measure.^[1]

Quiet hiring may negatively impact employee engagement with reassigned employees quiet quitting or mentally checking out.^[1] Quiet hiring may promote the utilization of nontraditional labor pools and allow workers to gain new skills and try out new roles for career development. ^[2][3] Quiet hiring encourages the promotion of internal employees over external hiring.^[4]

The term arose following the COVID-19 pandemic Great Resignation in response to quiet quitting and quiet firing, though the practice was previously in place.^[5][6][7]