Job Hopping or Job Hugging? What’s Really Happening With Conveyancers?
There’s a lot of conversation around candidate movement in the conveyancing market.
Are people moving firms too often? Are candidates becoming less loyal? Or are we actually seeing the opposite… conveyancers staying put in roles they’re unhappy in because the risk of moving feels too high?
From my conversations with conveyancers across the market, I think the reality is a little more complicated.
We’re seeing both job hopping and job hugging, but for very different reasons.
The rise of “job hugging”
“Job hugging” is something I’m hearing more and more in the recruitment market.
It’s where someone is unhappy in their current role, knows they would probably be better off elsewhere, but chooses to stay because moving feels like too much of a risk.
And there are some obvious reasons for this.
Conveyancers are busy. The prospect of moving firms, learning a new system, building new relationships and potentially taking on a completely different caseload can feel daunting when you’re already under pressure.
There’s also uncertainty around the current market.
Candidates are asking themselves:
- Will the new firm actually be better?
- Will the workload be more manageable?
- Will the hybrid arrangement genuinely be what was promised?
- Will I get the progression I’ve been told about?
- What happens if I move and it doesn’t work out?
For some, staying with the devil they know feels safer than taking a chance on something new.
Counteroffers are playing a part too
Another factor is the rise of counteroffers.
A conveyancer hands in their notice and suddenly their current firm is offering more money, additional flexibility, a promotion or promises of change.
For someone who wasn’t actively looking for a new job but had reached the point of exploring their options, that can be enough to make them reconsider.
But the question I always ask candidates is:
What made you look in the first place?
If the reason for leaving was purely salary, a counteroffer might solve the problem.
But if the underlying issue is workload, management, progression, culture or lack of flexibility, a pay rise doesn’t necessarily change that.
This is where counteroffers can sometimes delay a move rather than resolve the reason behind it.
So, are conveyancers actually moving too much?
Some are.
But I don’t think it’s fair to assume that every candidate with several moves on their CV is simply “job hopping”.
The conveyancing market has changed considerably over recent years.
Firms have merged, teams have restructured, offices have changed their working models, workloads have increased and expectations around flexibility have shifted.
Someone who has made a couple of moves over several years may have very legitimate reasons for doing so.
And equally, someone who has been with the same firm for ten years isn’t necessarily a candidate who is happy and fulfilled.
Length of service doesn’t tell you the whole story.
Why candidates are becoming more selective
One thing I have noticed is that experienced conveyancers are becoming much more considered about their next move.
They aren’t necessarily looking for any new job.
They want the right job.
For some, that means progression into a senior fee-earning or management position.
For others, it’s about reducing their caseload, improving their work-life balance or having genuine hybrid working.
Salary remains important, of course, but it isn’t always the deciding factor.
This is particularly true with experienced candidates who already have a stable position.
If they’re going to leave, there needs to be a compelling reason to do so.
And that means firms need to think carefully about what they’re offering.
What does this mean for employers?
If you’re struggling to attract experienced conveyancers, it may not be because there aren’t candidates available.
You may simply be asking them to take too big a risk.
A candidate who is currently comfortable, even if they’re not completely happy, needs to see a clear reason to make a move.
That could be:
- A genuine career progression opportunity
- A competitive salary
- Greater flexibility
- A manageable caseload
- Better team support
- Stronger leadership
- A clearer long-term career path
- Or simply the opportunity to work somewhere where they feel valued
Recruitment isn’t just about persuading someone to leave their current role.
It’s about giving them a reason to believe the next move will be better.
Job hopping or job hugging?
Ultimately, I don’t think the answer is one or the other.
There are candidates who move too quickly between firms, just as there are candidates who stay far too long in roles that no longer work for them.
But what I’m seeing in the current conveyancing market is a growing number of experienced professionals who are thinking very carefully before they move.
They aren’t necessarily unwilling to change jobs.
They just don’t want to make the wrong move.
And for employers, that distinction is important.
Because if you want to attract experienced conveyancers in today’s market, the question shouldn’t simply be:
“Why won’t they leave their current firm?”
It should be:
“What can we offer that makes leaving worth it?”
That’s where the strongest recruitment conversations are happening.
