Unlocking the 'Job Hugging' Epidemic: Why Employees Are Clinging to Their Roles and How Employers Can Respond

The Rise of 'Job Hugging' in Today's Labour Market

'Job hugging' is the latest buzzword capturing the uncertainty and anxiety in the global labour market. This phenomenon refers to employees clinging to their positions, even when disengaged, driven by a fear of the unknown.

What's Driving This Trend?

There are several factors behind job hugging. Uncertainty in the job market and the rising cost of leaving a job mean that salary expectations remain high, and employees are becoming increasingly risk-averse. Data from Gartner reveals that only 51% of candidates accepted a job offer in their most recent application process, a significant drop from 74% in mid-2023.

At first glance, this might seem positive for employers, as they can better retain staff. However, misreading job hugging behaviour can directly impact recruiting outcomes.

The Impact on Recruitment

According to Jasleen Kaur, HR Advisory in Gartner’s HR practice, HR teams unprepared for this trend risk going through the entire recruitment process only to have offers declined, failing to meet hiring goals and wasting resources.

Strategies to Mitigate Job Hugging

To address this, employers can adopt selective engagement, which involves strategically engaging with specific, high-value candidates. By building long-term strong partnerships with critical candidates, recruiters can tailor their approach to address individual needs, provide transparency about workplace culture, and share insights into how work gets done.

Improving the candidate experience is also crucial. Making the process "effortless" can encourage candidates to jump ship. Data plays a key role here—candidate surveys and interviews help identify strengths and weaknesses in recruitment.

Leveraging Data for Better Outcomes

When based on quantitative and qualitative data, such as surveys, it helps identify key differentiators and potential concerns that can be emphasised or allayed through employer brand messaging. Research can uncover what factors are most important to candidates, like hybrid work options, work-life balance, opportunities for learning and development, and connections with colleagues.

By emphasising these priorities and addressing concerns, HR can craft targeted messaging that strengthens a candidate’s decision to join, making the organisation more attractive.

The Bigger Picture

Ultimately, job hugging is less about complacency and more about caution. In a volatile labour market with rising expectations and intense scrutiny, candidates are thinking harder than ever about where—and whether—to jump.

For employers, the challenge is to move beyond simple attraction tactics and invest in a genuine, data-backed understanding of what candidates value. Those who combine selective engagement, transparent communication, and a low-friction hiring experience will be best placed to loosen the grip of job huggers and turn hesitation into confident acceptance.