In the wake of the Great Resignation and quiet quitting, “job-hugging” has become the latest HR phenomenon making headlines: employees clinging to their current roles not because they’re thriving, but because they feel stuck. They might feel unfulfilled or unable to see a future for themselves, but in the current economic climate, there’s no place else for them to go.
While it can be easy to assume that a lack of motivation, low performance and malaise are employee problems, the truth is that it’s far more likely a leadership problem. If job-hugging becomes an issue in your organization, the real question isn’t, “Why aren’t employees leaving?” It’s “Why aren’t you creating an environment that makes them want to stay?”
When staying put becomes a problem
To be clear, not all job-hugging is bad. Some employees are genuinely content where they are. They’re engaged, effective and have no interest in advancement, and that can be incredibly valuable for organizations. We need people who excel in their roles without constantly eyeing the next rung up. It fosters stability and depth of expertise.
The stagnation only becomes a problem when employees stay because they feel they have no other choice. Between rising unemployment, economic uncertainty, hiring freezes and vague insinuations that AI will replace humans, it’s no wonder some employees feel trapped.
However, when staying feels safer than leaving — even though it means sacrificing growth potential — it creates a problem for the organization that extends beyond that individual.
The retention mirage
This “retention mirage” lulls organizations into a false sense of security. Low turnover has historically been associated with a healthy culture. However, when employees are job-hopping, it can silently erode energy, commitment and performance, stall innovation and drag everyone else down in the process.
It’s not just the output and potential of the job hugger that suffers. Job huggers often become blockers. They occupy critical positions and do just enough to avoid performance management, while setting an example of complacency across their teams. Meanwhile, high performers who want to advance into those roles become disenfranchised and leave.
That means the organization loses twice: once from the job hugger’s declining performance and again from the talent that walks out the door. In fact, research already shows that over half of leaders planning to leave in the next year are not fully engaged — a clear indication that job-hugging is already having a profound impact. They may not have left yet, but they certainly have one foot out the door.
The silent signals of job-hugging
Perhaps the biggest challenge with job-hugging is that it’s extremely easy to overlook. It can manifest quietly: declining participation in meetings, reluctance to take initiative and an unwillingness to stretch, or comments like, “I’m just keeping my head down,” can become everyday behavior. This isn’t someone having an off day. It’s a pattern of playing it safe and barely meeting expectations.
Because these behaviors don’t typically trigger alarms and there’s no survey or algorithm to detect them, leaders must rely on something many struggle to prioritize: regular, authentic engagement with their teams.
Without consistent one-on-ones, purposeful retention conversations and ensuring psychological safety, leaders can make dangerous assumptions: staying equals satisfaction, quiet equals contentment and compliance equals comfort. These assumptions mask the reality that people are staying not because they want to, but because they’re afraid to leave.
The leadership gap
To address job-hugging, organizations need to look in the mirror. The solution isn’t complicated, but it requires commitment.
Data show that when managers recognize effort, offer support and provide regular feedback, leaders are 5.4 times more likely to be engaged. When those same leaders also feel a sense of purpose, trust their manager, feel included, and have access to skills development, engagement jumps 26.2 times.
That means leaders must talk to their teams regularly. And not just about deliverables and deadlines, but about their aspirations, concerns and what would help them engage differently. Have retention conversations separate from performance reviews. Ask why they’re here and what they’re looking to accomplish in this role or in their career. Having genuine relationships creates psychological safety, allowing employees to feel comfortable when being honest about their motivations — or lack thereof.
When you suspect someone is job-hugging, the conversation should be exploratory, not accusatory. Ask: What impact is this person having? Are they blocking someone else’s progression? What could we offer that might shift their trajectory? Maybe it’s cross-training, joining a new project or team or mapping out a career growth path with clear milestones.
Often, a single conversation reveals aspirations that an employee has never had the chance to articulate, and offering opportunities beyond their current scope (even without a promotion or compensation increase) can convert a disengaged job hugger into a highly engaged contributor.
The organization’s role
We instinctively know that leadership behavior directly influences whether employees thrive or merely survive.
But here’s the catch: leaders must have the bandwidth and organizational support to make it happen. We can’t expect managers to have deep, meaningful conversations with their team while carrying an overwhelming burden of responsibility, too many direct reports, working on their own projects and hitting aggressive targets.
Something has to give, and it’s usually the rapport and trust-building with their team that falls off their plate. The reality is that organizations can’t claim to value team engagement and development, then make it impossible for leaders to do that important work by denying them the resources, time or training they need. There must be accountability all the way to the C-suite.
The evergreen solution
As uncertainty increases, the importance of ongoing leadership development becomes even more essential.
These aren’t one-off interventions for the latest workplace phenomenon. Building trust, having meaningful conversations and listening to your team are foundational skills that address job-hugging, burnout, quiet quitting and whatever else comes next.
That’s why pulling back on leadership development during uncertainty is a critical mistake. The skills required to prevent job-hugging are timeless, and now is the time to lean into those skills before the dam breaks and those job huggers start heading for the door.
Job-hugging is a symptom, not the disease. It’s a signal that employees feel uncertain, unsupported or unable to see a path forward. By investing in leadership development, nurturing psychological safety and promoting consistent engagement, organizations build resilience that lasts well beyond the challenge of job hugging. The focus isn’t just on retention — it’s on cultivating a workplace where employees naturally want to stay.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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