Medtronic - What's the deal with the quiet hiring freeze?

Been at Medtronic for a few years now, and something feels off. My team's been trying to backfill a couple of open roles for months with zero movement. HR keeps saying 'processes are taking longer,' but it feels like a stealth hiring freeze. Are other departments seeing the same thing? We're already stretched thin, and this just makes everything harder. Plus, seeing the external job postings still active for some roles makes it even more confusing. Is anyone else getting this runaround, or am I just in a uniquely stalled department? Kinda worried about where this leads if we can't bring in new talent or even replace departing folks.