Philosophy
3 minutes

Unfortunately Bad Cultures Create More Upward Mobility

Unfortunately, it means that best path up may be to work for one of these companies with sub-par cultures. I have found that bad cultures lose their best performers after about 3-5 years.
Written by
Roy Keely
Published on
January 24, 2024

Upward mobility is a given in growing companies. That is ideal but also much harder find in the current economic times…so where to go?

Unfortunately it means the best path up may to go to work at one of these companies with sub-par cultures. I have found that bad cultures lose their best performers after about 3-5 years in the grind leaving a vacuum in the middle where there are lots of jobs that pay $125k +/-.

Culture matters less if you can’t pay your bills (core Maslow’s need stuff). After about $125k most of your current needs can be met as a young professional thus culture starts to matter more in your job.

Companies with great cultures that are steady/slow growth don’t create a lot of upward mobility because the people making a good wage aren’t willing to leave that gig because they likely know that they have a good thing going. Thus…you have to wait in line. Imagine being a rockstar shortstop in the Yankee’s system in the late 90s early 2000’s behind Derek Jeter….even if you were worthy of playing time you weren’t going to get it. Gotta go somewhere else to take your shot!

So where to turn as someone looking to make 50% more over the next 3 or so years?

You have to go with a hyper growth company and take a bet. OR….go find a chop shop/grind it out place that constantly has mid-level roles open. They are likely always hiring because of their constant churn…not because of their ‘he we grow again’ posts that tries to mask the exodus of talent.

*This is not always the case but is often the case.
**Don’t let the ‘best places to work for’ awards fool you either, those are most likely paid for

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