After the upheaval of the Great Resignation, we’re witnessing a powerful new workforce trend: The Big Stay. Employees are increasingly choosing to remain in their current roles, opting for security, stability, and deeper engagement rather than hopping to new opportunities. The Big Stay presents a powerful opportunity for organizations if HR leaders approach it in the right way.
According to the Wall Street Journal, two years ago workers who switched jobs could command an 8 percent bump in salary, which helped fuel the Great Resignation. We’ve officially seen the end of that wave. The salary difference between those who stay in their roles and those who change jobs is down to its lowest level in ten years. What employees are now seeing is a period of salary deflation, not just in the tech sector, but across most sectors.
A Climate of Caution and Economic Anxiety
More than 70% of Americans now think that it is challenging to find a better job than their current one. Much of this is driven by fear. Workers are seeing layoffs happening all around them and they don’t want to risk a job change that might introduce greater insecurity. In March 2025, U.S. employers announced over 275k job cuts, the highest value since May 2020, and the third-highest monthly total ever recorded. News like this and the recently leaked memo by Shopify’s CEO has added to overall anxiety over job cuts and hiring freezes. Shopify CEO Lutke stated that “before asking for more headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI.” These kinds of messages, coming down from the top, certainly don’t help employees feel more confident. In fact, even without concern about being replaced by a digital employee, many are not confident that they could find another option given the current volatility in the labor market.
A Shift in Employee Values and Expectations
However, it’s not just employee fear that is driving the Big Stay. The Big Stay also reflects a shift in thinking among many employees, particularly younger workers, who now prefer stability to uncertainty and meaningful community to constant change. Many Gen Z employees, who were frequent job switchers during the Great Resignation, are choosing to deepen their roots rather than risk new environments. Some employees grew disillusioned after switching jobs, only to find that the reality of a new job fell short of expectations. They encountered unfulfilled promises about work-life balance, growth opportunities, or roles that didn’t match stated descriptions. Others are simply seeking greater meaning, purpose, and connection from within the organizations they work for, recognizing that it takes time and commitment for connection and purpose to build.
Transforming Retention into Lasting Commitment
This is good news for HR departments and their organizations. The Conference Board recently put the “true” cost of employee turnover per exiting employee at $229,073.If an average organization decreases voluntary turnover by just 1% it can save nearly $57 million per year. That’s significant, but with employees choosing to stay longer, companies also have a renewed opportunity to nurture internal talent, build leadership depth, and strengthen culture.
What organizations need to avoid; however, is the downside of “hesitant retention.” Employees who choose to stay because they are “stuck” at the organization out of concern over economic uncertainty and fear of taking career risks (rather than staying because of genuine commitment) tend to become disengaged, less productive, less innovative and resistant to change.
Instead, organizations should see the Big Stay as an unprecedented opportunity, not just to lower the recruiting and onboarding costs associated with employee turnover, but to reinvest those savings into meaningful employee development. By redirecting resources into training, internal mobility programs, career coaching, and well-being initiatives, organizations can transform hesitant retention into purposeful engagement and avoid the associated risks. Employees who feel valued and see clear growth paths within the organization will not only stay willingly but will also contribute with greater enthusiasm, productivity, and loyalty. This has the power to create a level of organizational commitment that organizations and their HR departments haven’t experienced in years. The bottom line though is that the Big Stay still requires investment. Organizations that invest in meaningful work, clear paths for internal advancement, and a sense of connection and community will thrive, not just during the Big Stay, but well beyond it. HR leaders have a powerful opportunity to re-engage the current talent pool, their organization’s most powerful competitive advantage, by winning back the hearts, minds, and lasting commitment of their employees.
Heide Abelli is the co-founder of SageX Inc., an AI-enabled e-Coaching and performance support application for the modern workforce and she recently authored “You Got This! – The Ultimate Career Guide for the Modern Professional”. She is an accomplished executive who prior to SageX has held senior leadership positions at leading educational technology and training providers such as Skillsoft and Harvard Business Publishing where she developed award-winning, ground-breaking corporate training solutions. Additionally, she spent nearly a decade teaching Gen Z students as an Adjunct Professor of Management at Boston College. She is a seasoned veteran of product development, innovation and product management in the fields of corporate training and ed tech.
Heide is a globally recognized subject matter expert in the areas of leadership, management, general business skills, the unique skills required for success in the digital economy, employee learning and development and effective corporate training practices.