Job Hugging Won’t Save You: The Hidden Risk of Playing It Safe

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In a volatile industry, staying put might seem like a smart bet, but job hugging can quietly erode your visibility, growth and future opportunities.

You told yourself you’d move on once things calmed down—when layoffs slowed, when funding stabilized, when the job market felt less chaotic. At first, it sounded sensible. Why risk a steady paycheck when uncertainty was everywhere?

But months have passed, and nothing has really changed. This year, companies have laid off or projected they’ll lay off over 37,000 employees.* Budgets keep tightening. Clinical programs are still getting shelved. And what started for you as a “temporary pause” has quietly turned into something else: holding on to a job that no longer fits.

That’s job hugging. While it can feel like control, it often signals the opposite—that fear is quietly calling the shots.

The Trap You Don’t Notice Yourself Falling Into

Job hugging doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps in gradually.

At first, the work that once challenged you starts to feel routine. Then you stop volunteering for the high-visibility projects. Your contributions in meetings shrink. Maybe you’re still delivering, but you’re no longer stretching. The spark that once drove you fades into quiet disengagement.

In a healthier market, that would be your cue to move on—a signal that you’ve outgrown the role, and it’s time for something new. But when headlines are full of layoffs, fear scrambles that signal. It whispers that staying put is the responsible choice, even if the role isn’t serving you anymore.

The irony is that fear-based decisions often backfire. Disengagement isn’t invisible.

Companies Notice Disengagement (Even If They Don’t Say It)

Leaders are watching who’s leaning in. They see who volunteers for stretch projects and who hangs back. They notice who brings new ideas forward and who stays silent. And in moments of change, the people who are visibly engaged are more likely to be seen as essential to what comes next.

Job hugging hides you in plain sight. You’re technically still there but no longer seen as essential. In a business where resources are scarce and stakes are high, that’s a vulnerable place to be.

The Real Risk: Letting Fear Make Your Choices

Every job is an agreement. You give your time, talent and energy, and in return, the company compensates, develops and grows you. That balance holds only if both sides keep up their end.

When you’re disengaged but too anxious to leave, the equation tips. The company stops getting your best, and you stop getting what makes staying worth it.

The danger isn’t just career stagnation. It’s that fear slowly starts making decisions for you. It convinces you that waiting is a plan. That “maybe next quarter” is a strategy. That staying small is safer than taking a risk. You stop steering your career—and start letting circumstances do it for you.

3 Ways to Take Back Control

You don’t need to quit tomorrow. The antidote to job hugging isn’t panic, it’s agency. Here’s how to reclaim yours without walking out the door.

1. Re-engage on purpose

Even if this isn’t your forever role, how you show up still shapes your reputation. Take on a project that pushes you outside your lane. Mentor a junior colleague. Look for opportunities to build cross-functional visibility. Those small, deliberate moves can reignite your energy—and signal to others that you’re still in the game.

2. Invest in future you

Keep yourself ready, even if you’re not actively job hunting. Update your LinkedIn profile and resume while your accomplishments are fresh. Build skills that align with where the field is headed. Reconnect with former colleagues before you need them. In biopharma, new opportunities often surface quickly, and readiness turns chance into choice.

3. Name the reason you’re staying

If you choose to stay, make it intentional. Maybe this season is about financial stability. Maybe you’re deepening expertise in a therapeutic area. Maybe you’re seeing a program through to its next milestone. Defining the purpose turns waiting it out into a strategic decision—one that moves you toward something, not just away from risk.

Staying Isn’t the Problem—Staying Stuck Is

Job hugging isn’t just about fear of leaving. It’s about handing over the steering wheel, letting fear decide how you show up, how you grow and what comes next.

Here’s the truth: Stability without growth isn’t safety. It’s stagnation. Most jobs in this industry won’t last forever. What matters is how you use the chapter while you’re in it—whether you’re actively building toward the next one or letting fear keep you on pause.

Whether you stay or leave, don’t let fear decide who you become. Your career isn’t built by playing it safe. It’s shaped by the choices you make to keep moving forward.

*Based on BioSpace data and estimates, excluding contract development and manufacturing organizations, contract research organizations, tools and services businesses and medical device firms.

Angela Justice, Ph.D., is a leadership coach and former biotech executive who helps leaders earn—and embrace—their seat at the table with coaching grounded in behavioral science and real-world experience. You can follow her on LinkedIn.
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