Every day millions of people across the world are looking for their next role.
But, if you choose your employer wisely right from the start and ensure, to the best of your knowledge, that the company offers great breadth of support and opportunities, then perhaps you may be one of those women who enjoy a long-term and successful career where you're supported, valued, and well rewarded.
Benefits of choosing to stay at a top company
Choosing to stay with the same company for your entire career can certainly see many benefits.
For example, job security is important. Long-term employees are often highly valued by employers, and this can lead to more stable positions and a greater sense of job security. Over time, you may become integral to the company's success and culture, rising up into key leadership roles.
Good prospects for career advancement
Career advancement is a high priority for many women, and staying with one company can often enable clearer and more predictable career progression. As you gain more experience, knowledge and visibility in the company, you may move into those higher-level roles that often come with more responsibilities and higher pay.
Furthermore, pension/superannuation and benefits matter. Many companies offer great long-term benefits, such as retirement plans, pensions, and good healthcare options, and these can become more valuable the longer you stay. These benefits can improve with tenure and be a strong incentive to stay with the same employer.
Developing considerable industry knowledge
Staying with the same employer often helps develop deep company and industry knowledge. As you stay with the same company, you gain a deep understanding of its culture, systems, people, customers, and its industry. This experience can make you a highly effective employee because you become very familiar with the inner workings and can often anticipate problems and risks, as well as identify key opportunities.
Important relationships and networks
Over time, stronger relationships and networks are built by longer term employees, typically building strong professional relationships within and outside of the company. This professional network can prove valuable for career support, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities, both during your time at the company and beyond.
Stability can be reassuring
Having a long-term career with the one company can certainly help build a strong sense of stability. Staying with the same company for many years can offer consistency in your professional and personal life, which is highly desired by some. Being a long-term employee, you can become part a valued part of the company's history and its culture, and this can lead to a stronger connection with the organization, its purpose, mission, and values.
Great recognition of loyalty
Longevity with the same employer can often increased our recognition and loyalty. Companies often recognize and reward their long-term employees with special recognition, loyalty bonuses, celebrations, visibility, or further perks that may not be offered to newer employees. Being a long-standing part of the organization may also bring even greater respect from peers and leadership.
Plus, there are more opportunities for leadership experience over time. As such, you may be positioned for leadership or mentorship roles within the company, where your knowledge and experience are used to guide newer employees or to make strategic decisions.
And importantly, choosing to stay with a same employer for many years means you don't have to be constantly re-establishing your visibility or credibility within a new environment. Familiarity within a given context can certainly prove to be a key benefit.
It is important, however, to note that these benefits do depend on a range of factors like the company's stability, industry health, nature of the work, and the quality of the work environment and its culture.
Some women may in fact find greater fulfillment or better opportunities by actually changing companies, but it's incredibly important to weigh up your professional personal career goals and values when making your next career decision.
Where women work truly matters. The right job, in the right company, can certainly make our life far more fulfilling and enjoyable.
Think about a career move to a top employer
Prime Employers for Women work hard to create and maintain highly diverse and inclusive work cultures where talented women can truly thrive.
And, choosing to work for a company where women are present, valued, and supported is a key ingredient for a successful long-term career.
Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.