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With hiring slowed and AI enabling teams to do more with fewer people, many employees are choosing to “job hug” rather than risk making a move in an uncertain market. While this may temporarily ease retention pressures, it doesn’t eliminate the need for leaders to actively support growth and development within their organizations. When professional growth stalls, employees can quietly lose momentum, capability, and readiness, leaving organizations exposed when business needs shift or competition intensifies.
This is why ongoing growth opportunities still matter—and leaders need to provide those opportunities in practical, scalable ways if they want to retain talent. Below, Forbes Coaches Council members share expert insights on developing talent, sustaining motivation, and future-proofing teams even in times of cautious career movement.
1. Develop Talent Now To Prevent Future Flight
“Job hugging” today becomes talent flight tomorrow. Leaders who neglect development lose their best people when markets shift. Start with capability assessments to identify gaps, then invest strategically in mentoring, certifications, and upskilling aligned with near- and long-term business priorities. Develop your talent and career paths now or lose your best people and your competitive advantage. – Carolyn Hillegass, The Outcomes Coach
2. Avoid Hidden Equity And Leadership Gaps
Organizations may be unintentionally widening the leadership, pay, and ambition gaps. By keeping female and underrepresented leaders in “safe” roles that keep the lights on, companies are missing out on key sponsorship opportunities when roles, projects, and budgets are allocated for growth. These leaders become reliable, steady operators, but miss out on promotions or succession opportunities. – Kelly Huang, Coach Kelly Huang
3. Use Stretch Opportunities To Rebuild Purpose And Motivation
A leader needs to ask themselves what they want to be known for. Do they value developing teams and companies that are resilient, skilled, and resourceful, or would they rather react to external influences, resulting in “job huggers” that create costly stagnation, no growth, and no value to the company? Leaders can set stretch goals and open cross-functional teams, creating purpose and motivation that lead to valuable loyalty. – Cellene Hoogenkamp, KokuaHub Inc Coaching
4. Protect The Leadership Pipeline By Supporting Judgment And Strategy Development
The pendulum always swings. While companies currently have the upper hand, many are dismantling the leadership pipeline in real time. Replacing entry- and mid-level roles with AI removes the development path on which judgment and strategy are built. Leadership capacity takes years to develop and cannot be automated or hired on demand. – Teegan Bartos, JYC
5. Sustain Engagement Through ‘Just-Right’ Challenge And Co-Created Innovation
Engagement and identification rely on feeling challenged and developed. When people grow, they stay curious and take initiative. Through stretch assignments, cross-functional exposure, and AI upskilling, leaders can foster engagement and the right level of challenge. This creates a space where innovation is co-created, keeping the organization adaptive and resilient. – Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
6. Understand That Retention Without Development Still Fails
You can’t afford disengaged people on your team. They drain performance and morale. Growth drives engagement, and engagement fuels productivity and innovation. Leaders who ignore development now will pay later. When the job market flips—and it will—employees will remember who invested in them and who didn’t. Retention today doesn’t equal loyalty tomorrow. – Alex Draper, DX Learning Solutions
7. Show Employees They Still Matter Through Future-Ready Skill Building
When attrition is no longer the issue, it is tempting to ease off on development. Yet if people stay and stop growing, they do not become loyal—they stagnate. The price is drained energy, fading innovation, and a team that doesn’t thrive. Growth says, “You still matter.” Invest in future-ready reskilling, upskilling, and coaching so that each person finds meaning in their work. – Panos Malakoudis,Citium Solutions
8. Sustain Individual Growth Beyond Job Security
Stability shouldn’t stop development. Even if people aren’t leaving, leaders should focus on helping employees grow as individuals through values-driven work, stretch opportunities, and a culture where experimentation and failure are safe. When employees feel challenged and inspired, they elevate the entire organization, not just their job. – Rahul Karan Sharma, Steady Steps
9. Reinvest AI Efficiency Into Human Upskilling
Even when people stay put, growth still matters because stagnation quietly erodes engagement. AI can free up significant time by handling repetitive tasks, so the real leadership question is how you reinvest that time. If AI saves 30%, channel it into upskilling—sharpen sales pitches, improve delivery, and focus on higher-value outcomes. Turn those efficiency gains into a competitive advantage. – Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Ltd
10. Expand Roles To Reignite Motivation And Morale
Remaining stagnant and not experiencing personal or professional growth destroys morale. It leaves people wanting to go when the opportunity does arise. Rather than having people remain in place, find effective ways to expand and enrich jobs. Allow them to try new things, even if they’re small. Provide them with the opportunity to learn and develop new skills and techniques. – Ed Brzychcy,Lead from the Front
11. Counter Complacency Through Internal Mobility, Cross-Training, and Upskilling
Job-hugging breeds complacency and quiet quitting, which stifles innovation exactly when you need agility. When markets shift, top talent will bolt first. Invest now through stretch assignments, AI upskilling, cross-training, and internal mobility. Development isn’t a retention perk—it’s how you build organizational capability for what’s next. – Curtis Odom, Prescient Strategists
12. Close Skill Gaps Before They Become Risks
Even with slow hiring, leaders must foster growth to prevent disengagement, future turnover, and skill gaps. Offer micro-upskilling, cross-training, and mentorship to keep talent motivated, AI-ready, and committed for the long term. – Damodar Selvam, Equifax Inc.
13. Stay Committed To People Strategy Through Cycles
There is one constant in ever-changing workplace dynamics: Companies with the best people always win. Organizations with a robust people strategy, regardless of market conditions, won’t settle for teams rife with job huggers. Stay the course with your people strategy even during downturns, so you’re prepared for the inevitable upturn. – Edward Doherty, One Degree Coaching, LLC
14. Reignite Ambition Through Genuine Task Ownership
When people cling to their jobs, their ambition can atrophy. Leaders shouldn’t mistake loyalty for growth. The solution is: Give employees small, real stretch cross-department assignments—ownership of a process, a decision, or a problem no one at the other department has solved yet. When people expand their capabilities, they expand the company’s future rather than protecting their own chair. – Alla Adam, Adam Impact Institute
15. Turn Fear-Based Retention Into Purposeful Growth
Even when people stay, stagnation quietly erodes performance, creativity, and morale. Job hugging isn’t engagement—it’s fear. Leaders should continue offering growth through stretch projects, upskilling, mentoring and exposure to new problems. When people are growing, they contribute more today and stay by choice tomorrow—not by necessity. – Dr. Adil Dalal, Pinnacle Process Solutions, Intl., LLC
16. Use Development As A Long-Term Retention Strategy
Even in seasons of job-hugging, leaders must keep developing their people. Stagnation is costly because disengagement rises, innovation stalls, and your best talent quietly starts looking elsewhere. Growth isn’t a perk—it’s a retention strategy. Leaders can offer stretch assignments, cross-functional projects, and AI-augmented learning paths that expand skills and confidence. – Alejandro Bravo, Revelatio360
17. Create A Culture That Prioritizes Growth Over Comfort
Research shows that high-performing teams are focused on consistently developing their skillset. For example, 90% of organizations in LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report said they are concerned about employee retention, and providing learning opportunities is their No. 1 retention strategy. Creating a culture that prioritizes growth will provide an engaging environment to retain top performers. – Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space
