The latest buzzword reflects uncertainty and anxiousness in the labour market
“Job hugging” is the latest buzzword to appear at the tail end of 2025. The phenomenon refers to employees clinging to their position, even when disengaged. It is derived from a fear of the unknown.
There are a variety of reasons for this. Uncertainty in the job market paired with a rising cost of leaving means that salary expectations remain high and employees are becoming increasingly risk averse.
Data from Gartner revealed that just 51% of candidates accepted a job offer in their most recent application process, a substantial decline from 74% in mid-2023.
At a glance, this may appear a positive for employers, as they’re better able to retain staff.
However, according to Jasleen Kaur, HR Advisory in Gartner’s HR practice, misreading job hugging behaviour impacts recruiting outcomes directly.
“HR teams unprepared for this trend risk going through the entire recruitment process only to have their offers declined, unable to fulfill their hiring goals and wasting invested resources,” said Kaur.
A way to mitigate issues of job hugging is through selective engagement. This refers to 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,” Kaur said.
“This kind of engagement supports candidates in encouraging a decision to join.”
Improving the candidate experience may also lead to better outcomes. By making the process “effortless”, Kaur said it can encourage candidates to jump ship.
Data is an important tool. Candidate surveys and interviews can help to identify strengths and weaknesses in the recruitment process.
When based on quantitative and qualitative data, like candidate surveys or interviews, it helps identify both key differentiators and potential concerns that can be emphasised or allayed through employer brand messaging.
Kaur continued: “Research can uncover what factors are most important to candidates, such as hybrid work options, work-life balance, opportunities for learning and development, and connections with colleagues.”
“By emphasising these priorities and addressing concerns, like variability in work, HR can craft targeted messaging that strengthen a candidate’s ‘join’ decision, making the organisation more attractive to potential hires.”
Ultimately, job hugging is less about complacency and more about caution. In a labour market defined by volatility, rising expectations and intense scrutiny of every move, candidates are thinking harder than ever before about where – and whether – to jump.
For employers, the challenge is to move beyond simple attraction tactics and invest in genuine, data-backed understanding of what candidates value.
Those who can combine selective engagement, transparent communication and a truly low-friction hiring experience will be best placed not only to loosen the grip of job huggers, but to turn their hesitation into confident, committed acceptance.
