Another Workplace Buzzword Or Will “Quiet Hiring” Impact Your Nonprofit’s Success This Year?

Created By: Markus Olvet and Shaby T. Rosales
January 24, 2023

In 2022, a trending phrase we often heard and wrote about when it came to workplace changes and concerns was “quiet quitting.” In 2023, there’s a new concept popping up; it’s been labeled “quiet hiring.”  The two are definitely related. You might even call them cousins. 

Where “quiet quitting” was most often marked by employees scaling back or limiting their workplace duties in the pursuit of a better work-life balance, “quiet hiring” may call on those same employees to embrace an expanded workplace role with new and different tasks. Listed as the number one “Future of Work Trend for 2023,” quiet hiring may have a huge impact on your nonprofit’s success this year. 

As companies and organizations, including nonprofits, grapple with short staffing and employee turnover, many of them are turning to alternative means of getting the work done. Instead of hiring more full-time employees, they’re using outside contractors and/or redeploying current employees. This “quiet hiring” is typically in response to an immediate workplace need.

Not surprisingly, the staffing shortage and the subsequent movement toward quiet hiring have raised the stakes when it comes to worker retention. HR departments are increasingly saying that their most pressing challenge is retaining top talent—and ensuring that these employees understand and embrace the workplace changes being wrought by “quiet hiring.”

So how can your nonprofit “quiet hire” in a way that acknowledges and shows appreciation for your employees’ contributions, ensuring that you continue to meet their needs as individuals and valued team members?

Nonprofit employers should prioritize a healthy and transparent workplace culture, as well as strong and consistent internal communications. There must also be a commitment to ensuring that the impacted employees have access to the training they may need to take on new and different tasks. 

For those employees being asked to take on new roles—or old roles they relinquished during “quiet quitting”—workplace leaders should clearly articulate why a specific project is so important, what work needs to get done, and the skill set needed to do the work. Be realistic about compensation and have a clear pipeline in place for other opportunities and potential rewards for taking on new tasks. Be intentional about removing older, unrelated, or unnecessary duties so that the new scope of work doesn’t overwhelm or overwork your employee.

According to a Monster Survey, about 80% of U.S. workers say they have been “quiet hired,” and 63% of workers view quiet hiring as an opportunity to learn new professional skills. If done well, “quiet hiring” will benefit both your nonprofit organization in the competitive talent landscape, and employees who are eager to learn and want to be more involved in your mission and impact.

If an employee feels their new tasks are important to the organization’s mission and that their talent and input is valued, they will more easily embrace new responsibilities even though they may not particularly like the change.

Presented correctly, your team member should see this pivot to a new role as an opportunity to move up the organizational ladder or as a stepping stone for future opportunities. 

While “quiet hiring” may seem like just more workplace buzzwords, the concept is impacting employees and organizations across industries. Your nonprofit should address it head-on to ensure you have a strategy in place that helps you meet and exceed your 2023 goals.

Want to nurture, develop, and retain the valuable talent on your team? Reach out today to understand how Orr Group’s talent team can provide you with the HR solutions you need.

Markus Olvet is an Associate Director on the Growth team at Orr Group and supports the firm’s business development and marketing efforts.

Shaby T. Rosales is a Partner and Chief Human Resources Officer at Orr Group and leads both the internal Human Resources function as well as our Talent service line.