Hiring & Firing in a Modern Workplace

The modern workplace has entered a new era that looks quite a bit different from the workplace of 10 years ago. As millennials progress and mature in their careers, workplaces have begun welcoming the new generation of young people – Gen Z. Work environments look a little different too. A couple years removed from the pandemic now, companies across the country have developed more solidified remote/hybrid work policies.

The workplace has changed, and with it so has hiring and firing. This article details some of the hiring and firing practices being implemented in modern workplaces.

Transparency in the Hiring Process

The age of ultra-vague job descriptions, role details and salary ranges is slowly coming to an end. The younger generations have shown to prefer higher levels of transparency, and many companies are starting to realize the benefit of added transparency.

For a long time, job descriptions featured boilerplate language that rarely described the actual day-to-day activities of the role. They included a laundry list of duties that lacked detail, yet very specific degree and years of experience requirements. But things are starting to change.

Employers are leaning into their job descriptions as more of a marketing tool to sell the company’s mission and impact. That means less focus on arbitrary requirements and specific degrees or years of experience, and more focus on culture, skills, and role impact. Even the BC Government stepped up with the Pay Transparency Act, which mandates salary ranges on public job postings.

As a result of added transparency, modern job descriptions can be more successful at attracting job candidates. Potential employees aren’t scared off by onerous and vague job descriptions just because they don’t fit one of the seemingly hardline criterion. Employers may find that more transparency can equal less turnover. Being able to align on culture and role expectations/impact before someone is hired can lead to less surprises, smoother integration, and better culture fit.

Using AI for Hiring

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated nearly all corners of business, including hiring. And hiring ends up being a pretty handy use case for this tech. Some employers are inundated with thousands of job applications in a never-ending flow, including a significant proportion of inadequate applications. Going through each application manually can be a huge time suck.

There are a number of AI tools and systems out there designed to weed out the bad applications while leaving a smaller number of quality applications that can be carefully reviewed by a human.

These AI tools are extremely powerful. But with great power comes great responsibility. Algorithmic bias in hiring has become a growing challenge, which can manifest itself in terms of gender, race, colour and even personality. It’s up to employers and hiring managers to keep these systems in check, ensuring their hiring process stays effective and bias-free.

Note that in certain places including Ontario, the government requires employers to add a disclosure to job postings if AI is used during the job screening or selection process. In Ontario, this disclosure law comes into effect January 1st, 2026.

The Rise of Quiet Hiring

‘Quiet hiring’ is a relatively new term used to describe an existing phenomena that’s gaining popularity in the modern workplace. After the end of the pandemic, employers were having a tough time filling vacant job openings. While the labour market has shown signs of improvements in the past couple years, the quiet hiring trend emerged as part of the solution.

Quiet hiring puts in-house skillsets to work and prioritizes those people over external hires. This creative approach can address certain shortages without increasing the headcount. Instead of talent attraction, think talent reallocation. That includes training employees on new skills, expanding roles, re-assigning employees to different roles altogether, and hiring contract workers to plug holes.

If done right, this trend can be beneficial for employees as well. Rather than inserting someone external, employers can reward hard work and experience with real development opportunities. This practice can promote a culture of learning and growth while satisfying employees’ desire for development and advancement.

Passive Management Leading to Quiet Departures

Similar to quiet hiring, quiet firing and quiet quitting are new-ish phenomena hitting the modern workplace. Quiet firing describes how managers fail to provide coaching, support and opportunities – often on purpose. As a result, the employee is essentially pushed out of the organization. Quiet quitting is somewhat related, and occurs when an employee psychologically withdraws while their body remains at work. This can happen for a number of reasons, including poor work-life balance, lack of job fulfillment, or a lack of support from managers.

In order to curb these trends, which negatively impact the employee and potentially others, employers should do what they can to recognize and call out passive management and address any clear communication breakdowns.

This can be done by enabling and encouraging transparent communication across the board, including feedback, criticism and support. More often than not, communication is the root source of quiet firing and quitting. Beyond that, organizations should work to recognize the contributions of their people while doing what they can to provide learning and growth opportunities with the possibility of promotion.

More Legal Awareness

These days, many companies and organizations offer an opportunity for employees to work fully or partially from home or at other remote locations. Most Canadians prefer the option to work from home, so the companies that can provide that choice have an upper hand. But with that choice comes a new risk of legal pitfalls.

BC doesn’t have a single set of laws that have been specifically designed for remote work. Instead, existing employment laws like the Employment Standards Act and the Workers Compensation Act will apply to remote workers but with slightly adjusted interpretations.

At the end of the day, it’s up to the employer to ensure they’re compliant with BC laws. But the employee will also need to make sure they’re home office environment is safe and secure. To protect both parties, it’s best to draw up a written agreement that outlines best practices, terms, expectations, and right to change arrangements.

 

Looking for help with hiring to fill key positions? STRIVE Recruitment has been a leader in the recruitment industry since 2008, specializing in the recruitment of Accounting & Finance, Technology, Corporate Administration, and Manufacturing & Operations professionals. Contact us to inquire about permanent, executive, and temporary recruitment services.