Three Tips for Hiring Discreetly

Have you ever had to replace a current employee who isn’t working out, but need him or her to continue working until you find a suitable replacement? Or had to hire for a new division, but had to do so on the down-low since the company hadn’t made those plans public? Chances are, you’ll face more than one situation that requires discretion in hiring.

Here are three strategies that can help you hire “on the sly.”

• Use a staffing firm. If you plan to hire externally, a professional staffing company can help keep your name out of the equation altogether. They can take care of the advertising, social media outreach, interviewing, hiring and even the onboarding, leaving it up to you to decide when to make your decision public.
• Select an off-site interview location. If you decide to take on the hiring process yourself, you’ll have to conduct interviews at a time and in a place that won’t raise red flags for current employees. If you can, meet with candidates during evening hours or weekends. If you do interview during work hours, find an off-site location that creates a professional impression. After all, you don’t want your candidates to think there’s something sketchy going on.
• Keep it to yourself. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “A secret is best kept by three people, as long as two of them are dead.” Until the road ahead is clear, share your decision only with those who will be essential to your search and evaluation process until it’s time to announce the employment change.

What are some of the benefits of discreet hiring?

• It helps maintain employee productivity. If an employee is about to be replaced and finds out, he or she may quit immediately—or stay on but become unproductive. This can cause a slow-down in company processes, especially if fellow employees feel they need to show support.
• It helps maintain a positive environment. If rumors start flying or other employees start worrying about keeping their jobs, you’ll sense negativity in the workplace.

Because the success of your company and the satisfaction of your customers depend on the productivity and performance of your staff, this is one time when keeping a “secret” can be beneficial. Discreet hiring can be stressful, but implementing these tips can ease the process for all involved.

If you need to hire discreetly—or not so discreetly!—the team at Triumph would be happy to handle it for you. Contact us anytime you’d like to discuss our technology recruiting services in Richmond and beyond.