How to Turn ‘The Great Pause’ Into ‘The Great Opportunity’

Today’s workforce may be less inclined to put out feelers for a new position, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re satisfied in their current roles. That’s because, for the first time in several years, the labor market is shifting from “The Big Stay” (with employees open to new opportunities but generally satisfied with their current roles) to what hiring platform Employ has named “The Great Pause.”

In its 2026 Job Seeker Nation report, Employ found workers’ willingness to explore new opportunities fell to 43%, the first decrease in three years. And, the percentage of those actively looking for a new role dropped from 42% to 35%, after rising the previous year.

What’s the key differentiator in this change? According to Employ, it’s trust.

The platform’s report found:

• 53% of workers have come across a job listing they believed was a scam.
• 34% believed their job application was filtered out by artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
• 32% have been ghosted by recruiters or hiring managers.

“The last couple of years have brought into more glaring focus the significant breakdown in trust between candidates and employers, and employees and their employers,” said Stephanie Manzelli, Employ’s chief people officer.

Access bonus Workspan Daily Plus+ articles on this subject:

• Hit Play: Engage ‘Detached’ Employees with Skills, Career Growth
• Hit Refresh: Proactive Recruiting During ‘The Great Pause’

Why Job Hunts Are Dwindling

Job seekers are facing hundreds or thousands of competitors for a single role, and they often never hear back from an employer or recruiter, said Jasmine Escalera, a subject matter expert at career websites Zety and MyPerfectResume. A MyPerfectResume report showed almost half of workers believe the labor market will worsen in 2026, and 65% don’t plan to look for a new job this year.

But given the current landscape, don’t assume lower turnover means employees are satisfied, said Rey Ramirez, a co-founder of Thrive HR Consulting.

“Everyone has a friend who got laid off,” he said. “Because of that, people are saying, ‘I’m probably much better off where I am; I’ll just ride out the storm and see what happens instead of jumping ship.’”

In some workers’ minds, Manzelli noted, they’re sticking with the “devil they know” rather than taking a chance on the “devil they don’t.”

How HR Can Build on the Pause

The biggest takeaway for HR and Rewards professionals, according to the experts interviewed for this article, is not to sleep on this moment. Instead, they recommended you explore ways to engage your current workforce so they don’t press play on their job hunt when “The Great Pause” lifts. That may look like:

• Providing skills training and career development opportunities;
• Examining your corporate culture and how transparently you communicate; and,
• Reviewing your compensation and rewards offerings.

Also, the experts suggested that you take a fresh look at your recruiting strategy. To do so:

• Refine your candidate communication process;
• Cultivate transparency (including how you use AI in the hiring process);
• Bring roles to life for applicants; and,
• Personalize the recruitment process.

“We shouldn’t look at this cycle the same way we looked at ‘The Great Resignation’ and all the ‘Greats’ we’ve had in the last few years,” Manzelli said. “We shouldn’t just wait for the cycle to pass. To some degree, there will be elements of this cycle that will change the way we recruit and the very fabric of how job seekers apply for jobs moving forward.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Career Growth
• Employee Experience
• Total Rewards
• Workforce Engagement