The ‘great resignation’ and ‘quiet quitting’ have a new companion in the workplace – ‘job hugging’. People are clinging to their roles, especially in the technology industry, which has seen thousands of layoffs globally, because they want security and stability.
Companies from all levels within the technology sector have been trimming their teams in the wake of economic and geopolitical disruption. Roles in engineering, data, product design and operations are among the more than 15 000 jobs cut across the industry.
Many of these companies are well-respected and well-funded, cutting staff without warning and creating an environment where employees are internalising risk and becoming more cautious than ever.
Even those who feel underpaid, undervalued or burned out are not comfortable making a move right now because it isn’t just the uncertainty from the economy − AI is creating fears around skills and obsolete roles.
Switching roles has become the equivalent of stepping into the unknown and so people are hugging their jobs, choosing predictability over possibility.
The problem is, people aren’t giving you their best when they’re clinging to their jobs. In an industry where innovation is expected at the speed of light and tech is influencing policy and investment, having employees that are averse to risks and low on ideas isn’t great.
The good news is that job hugging doesn’t have to mean stagnation in the South African technology sector.
And these are qualities that define the huggers – they’ve little energy, make fewer suggestions, aren’t curious about the business and strategy, and are reluctant to take ownership of new projects.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that job hugging doesn’t have to mean stagnation in the South African technology sector.
The country is experiencing an interesting change in direction, with technology hiring on the increase, gaining momentum faster than expected.
According to leading IT recruitment platforms, technology job vacancies have increased by 18% year-on-year thanks to a growing demand for software developers, AI and data professionals, cyber security experts and cloud specialists.
The right culture and communication can turn this need for stability into an opportunity for deeper engagement and loyalty.
Yet even with this revival, job hugging is still a challenge that companies need to address. Improved hiring numbers don’t change the narrative, and employees are not yet trusting that the market has stabilised enough for them to make a move.
Years of disruption have reduced their confidence and even though specialist roles are thriving, other areas of technology are hiring slowly, so not everyone is benefitting from the upswing. This uneven recovery is reinforcing job hugging in some pockets of the industry where movement feels risky.
So, how can your tech business turn huggers into innovators? Here are five ways you can turn that hug into a long-term employee commitment.
Create safe stretch zones
People still want to grow; they just don’t want to gamble. Companies can change this narrative by designing small, time-bound stretch assignments that let employees test new skills without jeopardising their roles or reputations.
For example, a three-month, cross-functional project or innovation pods which encourage experimentation and mistakes are part of the learning. These low-risk zones ignite curiosity and confidence, antidotes to job hugging.
Rebuild transparency around rewards and growth
Payscale’s 2025 Fair Pay Impact Report shows more employees feel left in the dark about their pay than companies realise – almost 51% disagree that companies are transparent.
Transparency de-escalates fear, so companies should consider publishing pay bands and outlining progression pathways and communicating clearly around how cost-of-living adjustments work. South African companies, in particular, can use transparent communication to offset external economic anxiety.
Invest in consistent mentorship
Mentoring drives retention. Nearly 70% of Gen Z respondents and 59% of millennials say developing new skills and growth opportunities are among the primary reasons they stay with their employers, according to a Deloitte study.
Pair mid-level employees with seasoned mentors who can help them map a future within the business and use structured, measurable mentorship programmes to ensure progress is achievable. When employees see an internal future, they’re less likely to window-shop for an external one.
Celebrate internal motion and not just career progression
Job hugging often freezes energy because progress within the company is defined too narrowly. It’s worth recognising when employees make lateral moves and project rotations and prioritise skills development and seeing them as equal to promotions.
Internal job marketplaces and skills exchanges, even if they’re small, can help employees look outside their current roles.
Listen
In fatigued and stressed workplaces, perhaps one of the most radical acts of leadership is to listen to employees. Frequent, human-scale check-ins are more important than dashboards and metrics, so encourage team leads to touch in with people and focus on future goals rather than always on daily deliverables.
This is a great way to give people a sense of purpose and security even when the outside world feels chaotic.
Job hugging is a mirror reflecting how employees are feeling about their world – uncertain, over-extended and craving stability. So, if you respond with empathy and structure, that fear can be turned into a positive outlook. Which is, at a time when everything feels disrupted, a great way to make people want to stay, which will make your company feel stronger.
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