Name Kissing the tree it has been around for decades. It came about through acts of courage – people literally embraced trees to protect them from destruction. Over time, the phrase emerged to show a deep respect for nature and a desire to preserve it. It was almost protected on purpose. The word job is goodbye, however, it’s something else entirely. A new addition to the HR vocabulary, known earlier this year by Management Consultancy Firm Korn Ferry to define employees “Clinging to their jobs for dear life.” Unlike kissing a tree, quitting a job doesn’t have a good reason. It is a sign of a strong organizational ecosystem.
Of course, the behavior itself is nothing new. Labor markets always see a ratio of workers who stay put – some for good reasons (stability, family, loyalty), others for fear, comfort or lack thereof. Others risk being like the anonymous clerk in Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the inspector: Once there but not very productive. But Jobe’s label is a new kiss — a whimsical, less daring shorthand for something organizations have long struggled with: how to distinguish between loyalty and murder.
The illusion of movement
Even in the so-called A big resignation In the years following the Covil-19 pandemic, voluntary donation levels over 3 percent. Today, they have fallen back to less than 2 percent in most Western economies. Despite the headlines calling for great Churn activity, most people stay where they are, and stay that way. This is why the work of saying goodbye to Job is more of a revelation than the way other people work: The constant need to bring back familiar truths with new labels.
This trend also speaks to broader economic concerns. In the US, where soft immigration topics are always associated with technology explosions in the media and hiring freezes, many workers choose safety over inspection. Economic Uncertainty prompted Job to make a rational choice, even if one tends to short safety for a long time.
But behind this buzzword hides a bigger problem: The slow erosion of productivity, creativity and engagement across Western economies. When the product stalls, it’s not because people don’t work. That’s because many organizations have created cultures that retain work rather than develop it. They reward unity, process and coherence and renew creativity, curiosity and courage. The result? Work Forces are filled with people who work for personal safety rather than business performance. They became job coaches.
What a refreshing job it really is
Let’s be clear, most of Job’s readers. They are often tired, overworked and inspired. They have been found thinking that they are doing just enough to stay out of trouble is safer than taking risks. Many quietly conclude that their companies are not truly managing performance – that effort and reward are weakly linked. So, why stretch?
At its core, failure is a failure of leadership and system design, not individual behavior. Most organizations are not very good at measuring a product or offering. Their performance management systems are traditional: Annual reviews, fixed appraisals, perpetual appraisals, perpetual appraisal meetings. What they lack is clarity and communication about what success looks like and how it is measured.
A nurturing culture thrives wherever leadership avoids difficult conversations and difficult mistakes with grace. False Kindness Enduring Living in the Name of Conformity – It Eats Less With Confidence, Ambition and Ambition. Time to talk about this openly. And it’s time to do something.
Going Above the Kissing Job
Here’s a pragmatic framework—not the jargon of hr theory—to help companies transition from cultivating work-holding practices to building cultures of excellence. A culture that supports but does not soften; Desire but not poison.
Establish a clear sense of direction
People can only act when they know what they are doing. In 2023, Tufan Ergincilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, called the company “The Burning Platform,” A warning that there was actually no time left to implement change. The speech was made for his employees and investors alike. It was brutally honest, and necessary. By incorporating inefficiency, ergincilgic posed the challenge and opportunity that “everyone thinks differently, acts differently, makes a difference.”
Every company needs this kind of clarity: Where are we? Why Is It Important? What will happen if we don’t change? Without mandatory supervision, even the best talent of the talent went to the routine. With that, normal groups can be normal.
Create a framework for wrapping up milestones and metrics
Big stones of the year do not work. Today’s organizations need rolling, clear, specific, ambitious, but reasonable goals reviewed every quarter or even once. This case builds rhythm, accountability and strength. Most importantly, it shifts the focus from busyness to results. Most of Job’s employees are highly investigative emails, going to meetings, maintaining the illusion of a donation. MilesTones Force Clarity: Are we moving the needle or just matching paper?
Check delivery of groups and individuals
Many companies say they already do this. Most don’t. Performance appraisal in many firms it is visibledivided into favors or managers. Real testing is difficult because it requires the discomfort of dealing with the coherence and composition of what works and why. The best performing organizations are brave enough to measure delivery against agreed milestones, not impressions or politics. The difference between leading by information and managing by whispering.
Address Underperformance Under Inappropriate Comfort
There is no place for the delivery of substandard or toxic materials in the business of benefits. That does not mean cruelty or lack of spirit; It means honesty with compassion. False kindness does not bother us: not a company, not a group, not a person stuck in a role that no longer works. Many of Job’s employees were unhappy with themselves but chose the security of regular income over the risk of change. Good leaders create cultures where these conversations can happen with dignity and respect. Sometimes, helping someone move forward is an act of great leadership.
Be Kind About Going Out
It may sound corny, but generous exit preparations always pay for themselves quickly. Very large organizations they are overworked 10 percent to 20 percent. A successful Volunteer or Rehabilitation Program can have a very short return on investment – not just financially but culturally. When people leave with goodwill, those who stay are reminded that the system is fair, painful and focused on performance rather than punishment.
Deep question: What are we doing?
If Job kissing is a sign, what is this disease? It is today’s work to be recognized in the work of fitness. In many western militaries, we have built operational cultures that celebrate control, predictability and process. Those qualities bring security, but they also diminish. Real performance comes from energy – from people who feel they are part of something important. When leaders govern the purpose, align the goals with meaning and the courage of the reward as compatibility, the sauggers of the work change or choose them. Both of these results are healthy.
Job hugging may be the latest HR buzzword, but it captures a real malaise: too many people, in too many organizations, are stuck instead of moving forward. The challenge of leaders is not to blame them, but to create environments where the movement feels safe, the purpose feels real and works are felt. When companies are clear about the direction, honest about the offering and generous about the exit, they stop cultivating cab huggers and start growing players. And maybe just like the tree before them – they rediscovered that real security didn’t come from sticking, but from caring enough to do something.
Dr Helmut Schuster and Dr David Oxley are leading career experts and authors The Death of Work Information: How to Stay Relevant and Thrive in the Age of AI (Active breathing)
