"Job hugging" isn't about a comforting embrace - it's more about hugging the way a fugitive hugs the shaddow, or a stranded climber hugs a cliff face. Photo / Getty Images
As workers cling to jobs out of fear, an expert offers tips on turning retreat into regrouping.
Four years ago, pandemic-induced labour shortages and a general rethinking of life and career goals fuelled the “Great Resignation,” when dissatisfied workers left their jobs en masse to pursue better opportunities that gave them a sense of purpose and value. After several years of job seekers having the upper hand, however, unemployment is rising, job creation is down, and hiring has dwindled to a trickle in many sectors. And that’s not even addressing federal employees who, since the Trump administration took office, have been bounced between layoffs, buyouts, recalls, reinstatements and the threat of yet another Government shutdown.
In short, it’s once again a bad time to be between jobs, and the trend among younger and mid-career workers has shifted from job hopping to a phenomenon dubbed “job hugging”.
Not hugging as in a comforting embrace. Hugging the way a fugitive hugs the shadows, or a stranded climber hugs a cliff face. “Job hunkering” is more like it.
It might not seem like a bad thing. Low turnover means more stability and lower costs for employers, as well as continuity in quality from experienced workers.
But there’s a difference between contented settling and fearful clinging. The latter can be detrimental to employees, employers, and the economy in general.
Employees who feel compelled to stay with a job they hate may keep their head down to avoid jeopardising their paycheque – but that doesn’t make them healthy or productive workers.
“Making yourself smaller to fit in is stressful,” said Hanna Hasl-Kelchner, author of the award-winning book Seeking Fairness at Work: Cracking the New Code of Greater Employee Engagement, Retention & Satisfaction. Not only is it demoralising, but over the long term, it can lead to career-stalling stagnation of skills and earning potential. Survival mode keeps us alive, but we’re not meant to stay in it long-term.
And what about employers, who should be thrilled with less turnover and low-maintenance employees who toe the line? They don’t always benefit, either.
“Innovation is being crimped,” Hasl-Kelchner said. Job-hugging employees who are “more reluctant to take risks, raise their hand, make suggestions or offer new ideas” aren’t contributing to growth and competitiveness, she noted. “If you keep [employees] trapped, you get mediocrity.”
And, of course, when the market inevitably turns again, unhappy employees will move on and leave the employer with a big hole to fill.
Finally, at the macro level, businesses’ difficulty in planning for growth and expansion amid tariff and supply-chain concerns, coupled with job-hugging by established workers, means less opportunity for new talent to enter the job market. My inbox can attest to the struggles new grads face as they seek jobs relevant to their training; Hasl-Kelchner said she’s increasingly hearing that even graduates from top-tier business schools are struggling to break in.
In the face of these economic pressures and fears, Hasl-Kelchner suggests both employees and employers use this slowdown as an opportunity to “regroup, on both sides of the desk”.
Employees need to resist the pull to duck and disengage, she says, and instead remind themselves and their bosses of how their work creates value and moves the organisation forward. Hasl-Kelchner also recommends keeping resumes and skill sets up-to-date. Being discreetly prepared to make a move at any time, she notes, is empowering.
To that, I would add: If you’re feeling stuck in a job you hate, now really isn’t the time to take a leap of faith or burn bridges. Thanks to unemployment stigma, it’s still easier to land a job when you already have a job. But you can keep a pilot light burning and an eye out for any trend-defying opportunities. Hold on, loosely.
Meanwhile, employers who might be tempted to take job-hunkering employees for granted should instead double down on communication and appreciation, said Hasl-Kelchner, adding, “Employees want a good reason to stay, and leaders can give them that if they focus on company culture.”
To prevent a harmful, divisive us-versus-them dynamic between management and workers, she suggests managers be transparent with employees about their own concerns and fears and invite employees to engage in joint problem-solving efforts.
Just as she advises employees to polish their resumes and focus on their own contributions, Hasl-Kelchner urges employers to “look at their internal labour portfolio,” asking where their strengths are and what advantages they have over competitors. Then they can focus on preparing for the next stage of growth, even though it may be scaled back or postponed.
Finally, Hasl-Kelchner recommends employers keep sight of the employment contract as a human relationship involving good faith, honesty and respect so they can avoid a talent exodus the next time the market turns. “If you treat that relationship as transactional, that’s what you’ll get,” she said.
The pause in employee turnover is “a gift to management, and I hope they don’t squander it,” Hasl-Kelchner said.