Career Cushioning: How to Keep Employees From Quietly Preparing Their Exit Strategy
In today’s uncertain job market, employees aren’t just thinking about their current roles—they’re quietly preparing for their next one. It’s called Career Cushioning, and it’s becoming more common as workers look for ways to protect themselves from an unexpected layoff or a lousy work environment. According to research (Becker’s Hospital Review), 68% of employees are building a safety net—staying in their current job but actively networking, learning new skills, or lining up interviews, just in case.
For leaders, career cushioning is a warning sign. If your employees are hedging their bets and preparing for a plan B, it could mean they aren’t fully engaged or don’t see a long-term future with you and your company. And that’s where the real challenge lies: how do you create a culture that keeps your team invested, even when the job market feels shaky?
What’s driving career cushioning? It often comes down to a mix of uncertainty and dissatisfaction. When employees feel unsure about the future—resulting from company instability, lack of advancement opportunities, or a disengaged work environment—they start prepping their exit strategy. It’s not that they’re actively planning to leave; they just want to be prepared if things go south.
But here’s the thing: when employees start cushioning their careers, they become less focused on their role, and their commitment starts to wane.
This can feel create a slow leak in your team’s productivity and morale. Over time, career cushioning can lead to disengagement, lower performance, and, eventually, higher turnover. The good news? Career cushioning is preventable with the right cultural changes.
Here’s how to keep your employees fully engaged—so they don’t feel the need to cushion their careers:
Offer clear career growth paths. One of the main reasons employees cushion their careers is a lack of advancement opportunities. If they can’t see a future with your company, they’ll start looking elsewhere—quietly. Providing opportunities for advancement can significantly enhance employee retention. A study by the Pew Research Center found that 63% of individuals who left jobs cited a lack of advancement opportunities as a primary reason (MIT Sloan School of Management).
Increase transparency and communication. Uncertainty can breed career cushioning. Transparent leadership builds trust and reduces uncertainty. Research indicates that employees who perceive their leaders as transparent are more engaged and less likely to seek other opportunities (SpringerLink).
Build a culture of recognition and belonging. Employees who feel valued and connected to their team are less likely to leave, even when the job market feels unstable. Recognizing employee contributions and creating a sense of belonging are great approaches to boosting engagement. Research shows that employees who feel recognized are 56% more engaged than those who don’t (Positive Psychology).
At the end of the day, career cushioning isn’t about employees being disloyal—it’s about them feeling insecure in their current roles. The solution? Build a culture that fosters growth, transparency, and connection. When employees feel confident in their future with the company, they won’t need to prepare for plan B—they’ll be all in on plan A.
Ready to keep career cushioning off your team’s to-do list? Start by building a workplace where employees feel secure, valued, and empowered to grow.
Learn More
Becker’s Hospital Review. (2023). 68% of Workers Are Career Cushioning, Survey Finds
MIT Sloan School of Management. (2021). Focus on Career Advancement to Retain Employees
SpringerLink. (2022). The Relationship Between Leadership Transparency and Employee Engagement.
Positive Psychology. (2021). Employee Recognition: Low-Cost, High-Impact Ways to Boost Engagement.
