Backfill
To hire a replacement for someone who left. The word every overloaded team listens for: 'approved backfill' is relief; 'evaluating the backfill' means absorb the work indefinitely.
Heard in the wild
“Maria's req is approved — we're backfilling immediately.”
Tone check: Professional
'We're evaluating whether to backfill' means no. It always means no.