No -Your Loyalty to a Company Doesn't Matter

Intro

Loyalty to a company is a funny thing.

It’s a great way to climb the ladder, especially if you really love the company and it’s leadership. Everyone already knows you, the trust is there, and if you’re good at what you do, it can be leveraged into promotions, raises, transfers, and more.

When times are good, it can bode well to be loyal to a company and stay long term.

But what happens when times are bad (like right now)?

Story Time

Here’s a story about one of my first clients.

Let’s call him Rick. He was one of the first people I worked with on the client side who really gave me my first shot in agency recruiting.

He worked for a large Telecom company. He was responsible for one of the groups that develop point-of-sale systems in their retail stores. This is easily their most talented group and one of the company’s main revenue drivers. Honestly - most of you reading this have probably used his product before when upgrading your phones which is pretty cool to think about.

He worked for X Telecom for 17 years and made his way to Sr. Director. Five different promotions. Multiple teams built. Multiple mission critical apps & platforms built. He even relocated twice for them (both different states) before finally settling down in New Jersey.

I never had an issue with anyone I placed under him. Raving reviews, everyone loved working on his team.

He was forced to lay some people off earlier this year - he was told that he would be fine.

Until this week - he was told his time would be ending with the company right after the new year.

So, what can we learn from Rick?

There are a few ways you can look at Rick’s situation.

The first, and most obvious, is that company loyalty doesn’t matter. After what this guy did for them, how can they sweep his job from under the rug?

Here’s the second way you can look at it - and actually this is what Rick told me (paraphrasing):

“X Telecom gave me amazing memories. I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many great people over the years building so many great things. I could have jumped ship a few times, sure, but they also treated me fairly, provided stability, and allowed me to rise up the ranks”

I was speechless. The guy who poured his hear and soul into his company, moved his family, laid off after being told he was safe, said this instead of being angry.

I think we can all learn from Rick. Sure, everyone has the right to get pissed when the are laid off. It sucks, especially during a recession and sky-high inflation.

What’s done is done. Take the time you need to process everything. Slowly, but surely, leave it in the past, and move onward and upwards to bigger and better things. Think positive and manifest your next role.

What we can learn from Rick is how to frame your situation in a positive light.

For example:

• How many new connections did you make working at the company? Can they be added to your professional network?

• Did you refine any skills or learn new ones? Add those to your resume & LinkedIn

• Any interesting projects & accomplishments? Write down those for STAR interview stories

So I spoke with him and it boiled down and figured out some pro’s and con’s for staying loyal:

Pros:

1. Stability: you get the sense of stability since you know what you’re getting into each day, who you work with, the systems you’re working within, the organization, and everything in between.

2. Advancement: Your dedication & commitment to the company can be leveraged to gain more promotions long term

3. Relationships: by staying with the company long term, you allow yourself to build strong relationships with colleagues and superiors (in some cases, even executive team)

4. Increased (internal) knowledge & expertise: the more you stay within a company, the more you become an SME about their policies, procedures, culture, and more.

5. Benefits: long term employees usually stand to gain additional benefits, including better retirement plans, insurance, stock options, and more

Cons:

1. Pay: it’s been proven time & time again that you make more money by job hopping every few years. You may lag behind your peers who are changing employers more frequently.

2. Variety: Working at the same company provides you with less variety which may lead to you to feeling stale at some point

3. Loss of Upskilling: while you can be an SME internally, you can also fall behind on industry trends, new technology, and developments if you’re company isn’t upgrading as fast as it’s competition or other industries.

4. Decreased Negotiation: Negotiating is all about leverage. While some can leverage their dedication, internal knowledge, and relationships, others can’t. If you haven’t built that internal equity, you have nothing to lever as the company is betting you won’t actually leave or that they can replace you.

5. Limiting Opportunities: while some can use their time to rise the ranks, others will eventually hit a glass ceiling. At some point you will hit the maximum level of advancement - in terms of title/responsibilities & pay - and only you can determine if you’re OK with that.

That’s all, folks!

Hopefully you enjoyed this story. Like and subscribe, let me know your thoughts, and don’t forget to share with a friend

- RR