Kim’s Message: Job Hopping vs. Job Hugging

Last month, we talked about moonlighting vs daylighting. This month, let’s discuss job hopping vs job hugging.

Job hopping occurred during the first few years of COVID, a time which was eventually labeled the “great resignation”. All of a sudden, many people who’d never worked from home before were now working remotely, often with their kids and spouses, and they needed a job that allowed them more flexibility with life’s new demands.  People were leaving their jobs to find a better work-life balance and more peace of mind.

Today, turnover and unemployment remain relatively steady, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and we are now seeing more of a “low-fire, low-hire environment.” Still, the concern over AI causing job losses and layoffs in the tech sector, inflation, and the new tariffs has produced a lot of uncertainty. Unlike COVID times, this current uncertainty is causing many employees to worry about the economy, and they are staying put in their jobs, thus giving rise to the new term, 'job-hugging'.

The Pros and Cons of Job Hugging

Employee loyalty, happy employees, and low turnover are just a few of the benefits of job hugging. Lower turnover often allows leaders more breathing room to address other concerns in the company, to rebuild trust, and to re-engage employees before they consider leaving.

While many leaders might think there aren’t any downsides to job-hugging, think again. If left unchecked, job hugging can lead to disengagement in your workforce.  A recent Gallup survey shows that only 31% of employees are engaged. These employees are not just content but are emotionally invested, demonstrating purpose and a drive to perform at their best. Engaged employees also contribute to higher productivity, better work quality, increased safety, and greater profitability for their companies.

If 2/3 of your workforce is potentially disengaged, that means you may have employees who lack passion and commitment to their work and to your organization. When you have a culture with more disengaged than engaged employees, innovation and growth will stall.

Lean into Job Hugging with Stay Interviews

If your employees are already staying put, then lean into Job-Hugging and work on giving them reasons to stay engaged. One of the best ways to learn what keeps your employees at your company is to conduct Stay Interviews.

Stay interviews are dynamic sessions between managers and employees designed to uncover what keeps top performers engaged and dedicated. Unlike traditional recruitment interviews, stay interviews are more casual and they foster open conversations that reveal valuable insights.

Stay interviews can unearth feedback such as the need for more training or other issues that a leader can assist with, and also foster a healthy discussion in the event an employee is not a good fit for their current role.

An effective way to initiate your interview is by asking the following five questions:

1. When you come to work each day, what things do you look forward to?
   This question starts the meeting on a positive note and provides awareness about what the employee enjoys about their job.
2. What are you learning here?
   When answered in the positive, this allows you and the employee to discuss their path for career success, growth, and development.
3. Why do you stay here?
   This allows you to discover what matters to your employees.

4. When was the last time you thought about leaving our team? What prompted it?
   The answer may provide you with those triggers that can cause an employee to resign and potentially help you to prevent this in the future.
5. What can I do to make your experience at work better for you?
   You may hear comments regarding the need for new equipment, resources, flexibility, or even feedback about your own leadership style. You may also hear about things you, as a leader, are doing that are appreciated and valued by your employee.

For additional topics, refer to our Sample Stay Interview Questions here.

Who knows how long job-hugging will stay around, but if you are experiencing it now or at any time in the future, make the most out of this retention and be an advocate for your workforce!