Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is absolutely convinced that their company is the best place to work? 🏢 They talk about endless opportunities, long-term dreams, and unwavering loyalty to the company. It’s almost like they have blinders on, only seeing greatness within their own workplace. 🤔
I recently had a chat with someone just like that, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Why limit oneself to just one company when there are thousands out there waiting to be explored? 🌎 What’s the deal with this tunnel vision when it comes to work?
I believe that there are at least 1,000 awesome companies in America where one could potentially have a fulfilling career. So why the narrow focus on just one? Why not spread your wings and explore all the different opportunities out there? 🦋
Let’s chat and dig deeper into this phenomenon. Are you team #CompanyLoyalist or team #ExplorationIsKey? 💼💡 Drop your thoughts below and let’s figure this out together! 🤝 #CareerConfusion #WorkplaceWonders
It’s not that they’re truly wrong, they just probably are more afraid of the risk than they need to be. But these people probably have been through some real shit shows, have a team around them they feel lucky to have and probably the most job security they’ve ever had too. I’d even go so far as to say most people don’t feel a ton of urge to work for “the best” of the thousands of companies they could work for, they just want their heater to stay running and to have the least stress about finances and job security they can.
Most companies I have worked for are pretty similar.
But good managers are hard to find and they are what make a place great to work at.
Do you get RSUs with the potential to grow by 1000% over your lifetime? Will putting that company on your resume get you more job opportunities? Then yes that is the best company to work for.
People have different values and goals. I’d stop telling her anything about other companies that have piqued your interest tbh. Her loyalty will be your undoing.
I feel the same way about romantic partners!
There’s 4 billion potential partners if you’re straight, and 8 billion if you’re bi.
I have no idea why anyone would want to be with just one person. Can’t explain that one either!
Everyone is different. If you stay at one company, you can foster long-term relationships with your coworkers/organization, which leads to enjoyable work days. Depending on the company, you can probably end up with really good benefits as well. I know a guy at my last place who had gotten up to a whopping 32 days of PTO in the US, virtually unheard of, because he had been with the organization for nearly 15 years.
On the other hand, I really dislike doing the same thing for too long and enjoy changing it up, at most, every couple years. If you’re a “star player” in your field and can easily display your skills, translating them onto resumes and interviews, you can grow much faster by not being complacent. Nailing a position with experience and education requirements above what I have was huge, and I feel like I could do it again in a year after proving my ability to fill my current role with ease. It depends on your personality and circumstances.
OP is mad that someone is happy, content and excited about their life and career instead of chasing “the next thing”
You don’t get it because you look at life as a collection of milestones. She doesn’t. It’s a rare thing.
I’ll speak to my own experience- my comp has gone up 80% in 4 years, I have champions and received promotions- about time for my next step.
They’ve supported my move to be 300 miles from the office to be near family- I am now remote with regular trips back.
Until that equation changes my director absolutely has a ton of loyalty from me- I’ll seek roles off his team but if he were to leave the company and call me up- I’d leave and go work for him.
The company is a close second in terms of loyalty – I’ve worked elsewhere and you have 1-2 years of just getting to know people and understand stakeholders.
That is my personal preference- I applaud those that hop and get paid
I’ll speak to my own experience- I like being at 1 company -my comp has gone up 80% in 4 years, I have champions and received promotions- about time for my next step.
They’ve supported my move to be 300 miles from the office to be near family- I am now remote with regular trips back.
Until that equation changes my director absolutely has a ton of loyalty from me- I’ll seek roles off his team but if he were to leave the company and call me up- I’d leave and go work for him.
The company is a close second in terms of loyalty – I’ve worked elsewhere and you have 1-2 years of just getting to know people and understand stakeholders.
That is my personal preference- I applaud those that hop and get paid
I actually understand your coworker’s sentiment perfectly. It’s how I felt about my last job. I felt respected and valued. I could contribute and my contributions were recognized. My coworkers and I all seemed to be working towards a shared goal. And it was a very flexible workplace that respected that employees had lives outside of work. Unfortunately, private equity ruined it all.
My past employers, from most recent to starting out:
1. My boss would regularly criticize my makeup and hair. He would also spend time criticizing other employees appearances (pandemic, working remotely). He demoted all women on his team. Despite this, he was considered a rising star within the company. The work culture was very stuffy and formal. There were lots of unnecessary meetings and it was really hard to get things done because of all the bureaucracy.
2. Managing up was emphasized versus managing down, which meant that you had bosses sometimes that just didn’t talk to their direct reports. People didn’t really talk to each other in general, especially across departments. High turnover, in part because of constant layoffs. I had six bosses in four years, four different department heads. Company leadership tended to assign goals that compete with each other, like assigning one team to grow the use of a particular software while assigning another team decreasing the cost of that software — which could only be donr by decreasing users. It was maddening.
3. I was a part of a fantastic team with a fantastic boss in a very messed up workplace. It had a less than 5% 5 year retention rate when I worked there. Entire departments quitting together. Lots of weird issues around gender. We had a Harvey Weinstein situation with someone in leadership (as in he was called out for his behavior towards women in local and national media) and there were a series of weird rules set up to basically limit the interaction between women employees and him. I got a raise at one point because when my boss got promoted, she found out my male peer was getting paid $13k more than me even though he had had less experience and was hired over her objections. She somehow found out a similar salary difference with her former peer. For half the year we had to stay until 7 pm. A lot of emphasis on overwork. We had conference rooms named after people who died at work. There was lots of over emphasis on collaboration, so lots of unnecessary meetings. At the same time, it was very cut throat with leaders trying to screw each other over.
4. Mean girl culture. Everyone was awful to each other. Too much work, not enough people. And leadership kept agreeing to bigger projects without hiring anyone new. Only place I’ve ever worked with people screaming at each other in the hallway.
And there’s people on this thread saying bosses are more important, but bosses don’t stay. I’ve had 19 bosses over my 14 year career. I’ve only had two annual reviews where the boss was my boss for more than a year
So no, if you find a good employer it’s a rare thing.
Abraham Lincoln “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Sometimes it’s just hitting things they value. Sometimes they’re just lying to themselves.
The real question is why can’t you just be happy for her. I mean, if that’s what makes her happy, why do you need to question it?
I’m 57, I love the company I work for and hope to stay until I retire.
I only say this because I’ve worked for 17 companies now (due to layoffs or job hopping) and this job offers the best benefits, salary, and co-worker team environment I’ve ever had. Plus, it’s work from home.
I’m able to compare my current position to the many shit jobs I’ve suffered through. Switch jobs often.
I work at a pretty great company, by my manager is shit. A manipulative, petty, bully
I’m a mover of jobs and have doubled my income every few years. Now I’ve started going back and doing the same rounds at the same places I left but at a much much higher rate of pay.
But! I don’t have a good retirement. Because I don’t stay anywhere long enough to get vested. It’s a problem. It’s a small regret but I really had no choice. Luckily my retirement will likely be in a small African country where my dad has done most of the legwork. If I could get to the top of my profession I would just stay for 30 years if I have that long in life. Wallahi.
I do feel envious of people who stay in the same place, happily and can retire before 50-55.