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It’s not uncommon for dating lexicon to enter the workplace vocabulary, as seen widely in 2022 with many experts pondering the trend of employees and job candidates ‘ghosting’ employers.
Similarly, another dating term recently reared its head in the HR world - ‘cuffing’. According to Mind Body Green, the term is “based on the idea of getting handcuffed or tied down to one partner. It refers to when people get into relationships during the colder months of the year, even though they ordinarily wouldn't be interested in a commitment.”
And it seems employees are now ‘job cuffing’ too in search of stability, as they prepare for the coming months of economic uncertainty. And just like ghosting, cuffing is becoming part of the contemporary workplace vocabulary, according to Jill Cotton, career trends expert at Glassdoor, who says: “Now that workers are ‘cuffed,’ job hunting activity will pause over the Christmas period.
“It’s not until the New Year that job hunters emerge again and we see a frenzy of activity with job searches expected to increase a whopping 28% in January and then peak in February, just ahead of spring.”
Furthermore, an expert in workplace issues thinks employers can avoid broken hearts (and contracts) by using this winter to prove they’re the one.
According to Jeff Schwartz, retired Deloitte Principal, U.S. leader to their Future of Work program, and current VP of Insights & Impact at Gloat: “There was an overwhelming confidence from the U.S. workforce that was evident during the Great Resignation. As employees showed they were no longer willing to put up with workplaces that didn’t serve their needs, employers were left begging for a second chance — now is that chance.
“As the labor tides shift, it’s possible to turn this into something mutually beneficial for both parties, ensuring long term happiness and success. Employers have the unique opportunity to make the changes they promised in 2021.
“In order to do this, business leaders need to understand what people actually want out of their careers — agency, flexibility to learn and develop new skills, and overall multidimensional growth. This will be the determining factor between a long and healthy relationship past Spring, or just another breakup.”
Additionally, Rick Hammell, CEO and founder of global human experience platform Atlas offers this advice to companies scrambling to ensure the global talent they hired this Autumn and Winter isn’t planning to break up with them come spring: “People want to feel that they are joining an environment with the opportunity to personally grow and feel recognized for their contributions to the overall purpose.
“Flexibility is crucial in this new age of work. So, it's essential to be mindful of your people's needs first and foremost.
“The War on Talent and Great Resignation are all indicators of what talent wants: flexibility, work-life balance, learning and development opportunities and purpose-driven work.”
