What to Do with All the Job Huggers

It didn’t take very long for companies to go from having employees who would jump ship seemingly at the drop of a hat to today, when turnover has slowed to a crawl. Indeed, many organizations are wondering what to do with all their so-called job huggers — employees who plan to stay in their current role for much longer than anticipated. 

One week after the job-hugging term caught fire, new jobs data has again confirmed that people are staying put—in this case, quitting less often than at any non-pandemic time since 2018. The reasons haven’t changed: Workers’ sense of available outside opportunities has plummeted; there’s also a perception that the whole job-search process is a messy slog. What’s more, uncertainty surrounding AI’s impact on the job market is convincing even more people to stay put. “The job hugging trend is very much real right now,” says Brittney Molitor, a Korn Ferry managing consultant in the firm’s Human Resources practice.

Indeed, it’s an issue for companies not only with their own employees, but also with new recruits. Candidates, even when recruited for attractive roles at other organizations, are showing a decided lack of interest. Many don’t want to go through a job-search process that can take months or years—or worry they’ll find themselves in a last-in, first-out situation if the new organization restructures, Molitor says.

All of which is putting many leaders in a position they’re not used to: deciding whether it’s best to develop their new “loyal” workers more, or to nudge some of them out. To be sure, experts say, too many employees staying in roles can lead to corporate stagnation. But most experts also say that, beyond acknowledging that it’s an issue, leaders aren’t likely to take any drastic action about job huggers. Most companies intend to give moderate raises next year to nearly all of their employees, whether clerical staff, executives, or somewhere in between.

Some experts recommend that organizations do a better job of figuring out who, among all the job huggers, are the highest-potential and highest-productivity workers—and return the embrace. “We want our best talent to hug,” says Kevin Cashman, Korn Ferry’s vice chairman for CEO and enterprise leadership. Conversely, firms may need to evaluate which of their job huggers might not be worth the extra investment. In many cases, companies’ current systems, including evaluations, feedback sessions, and other performance tools, don’t always do a good job identifying top talent.

Dennis Deans, Korn Ferry’s global human resources business partner, recommends that organizations invest in employee development and career-progression plans. After peaking at nearly $102 billion in 2023, spending on US corporate training dropped by nearly 4% in 2024. “Identify future talent and ensure they know that they are valued,” Deans says. This is also an area in which employees might appreciate an overhaul. Nearly half of workers (43%) and experienced professionals (48%) say their current job offers few or no opportunities for growth, according to the new 2025 Workplace Culture and Trends survey from SurveyMonkey.

Employers need to realize that job hugging is just part of the cycle, says Alan Guarino, vice chairman of Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO Services practice. “Show your employees that you care about them reaching their personal objectives; give them a safe, fair, working environment, and you will win the long game.” Indeed, experts say the job-hugging phenomenon could easily fade, and companies that don’t make an effort to keep today’s job huggers could eventually find themselves short of top talent. “Once the job market improves, we will see an increase in voluntary attrition,” Deans says. 

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Talent Acquisition capabilities. 

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