Essentials: The Job-Hugging Era

Think about it: Have you noticed any colleagues leaving for a new role lately? Have you been asked to help someone find one elsewhere? At an alarming rate, more and more employees are engaged in what is colloquially known as “job hugging”—which is to say, holding on for dear life to their jobs. The “quit rate,” or percentage of people who voluntarily leave their jobs in a given month, is the lowest it’s been in a decade. It’s probably not getting higher anytime soon, either. Most employees plan to stay in their jobs for the next six months, according to the Eagle Hill Retention Index, perceiving the job market to be treacherous.

For leaders, employees staying put is not necessarily good news. Should they invest more in training? How can they keep workers engaged and avoid burning them out? Should they push them harder because they know they’re unlikely to leave anytime soon?  And, in a climate with so little employee turnover, how do you get the same people to work together well without things getting awkward?

In this Essentials, Korn Ferry looks at the job-hugging phenomenon and what leaders and employees are doing about it. 

What to Do with All the Job Huggers

Should leaders try to develop this newly loyal breed of workers—or nudge some out?

And Now, Awkwardness Training

From “get to know you” lunches to training on interacting, companies are taking some serious steps to get the generations to talk to each other. Is it working?

The Return of the 60-Hour Workweek?

Why long, grueling hours are once again an expectation in tech and finance—and may soon be in other fields.

Afraid to Ask for a Raise? Join the Club.

Some 66 percent of employees won’t ask for raises this year. What can they—and their leaders—do instead?

When Burnout Wears a Smile

Many employees might be silently breaking down while grinding away. Why “quiet cracking” can hurt workers and firms alike. 

Click out all the stories in The 2025 Essentials.