Longevity and tenure used to indicate job satisfaction, but in a stagnant job market they could now signal simply holding on. An article in Fortune, written by Sasha Rogelberg, indicated a new propensity to hold on, a practice known as ‘job hugging.’
But this variety of hugs is less warm and fuzzy. It is instead a reaction to workplace uncertainty where workers are anxious to hold on to their jobs amid chaos. It’s about survival in a stagnating and depressing job market.
The current job situation leaves much to be uncertain about with the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, age discrimination, and the ripple effects of tariff uncertainty. So, when companies start to cut back, employees are left to create their own survival guide.
Even if an employee wants to quit, there remains a big if when it comes to how long it might take to find another job. The LinkedIn feed offers many examples that demonstrate just how long it might take to find another role. Once-simple job searches are turning from months into years.
“Given all the activity that happened post-Covid and then some of these constant layoffs, people are waiting and sitting in their seats and hoping that they have more stability,” said Stacy DeCesaro, managing consultant, Korn Ferry. “No one is wanting to leave unless they’re very unhappy or miserable in their job or just feel so unsettled by the company.”
The Eagle Hill Consulting Employee Retention Index indicated growing employee intent to stay at their current jobs over the next six months. The choice to stay is growing even when promotions are harder to come by. Additional hurdles include annual raises that do not match standard of living increases and conflicts around the coordination of return to office mandates.
But workplaces need to be aware that employees who are engaged in ‘job hugging’ have a higher potential to exhibit another concerning issue that is also intensifying in the workplace. It’s called ‘quiet cracking,’ a play on ‘quiet quitting’ that continues to play out in the workplace where employees do just enough work to keep from getting fired.
Employees who are dealing with ‘quiet cracking’ continue to show up and perform their work duties but often struggle in silence as they do so. This suffering can blunt productivity and lessen morale in the short term. In the long term, these serious symptoms can lead to burnout and mental health issues if left unaddressed. Warning signs of cracking can include physical manifestations such as headaches, sickness, and fatigue as well as behavioral changes.
“A large group of people are saying that they’re stressed most of the time, many of whom are probably either suffering burnout or close to it,” said Frank Giampietro, EY Chief Wellbeing Officer.
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