The idiom of “climbing the ladder” at work has become a bit antiquated. Today, career growth tends to look a bit more like a game of Chutes and Ladders than a linear upward climb.
Research in 2023 from McKinsey found that the possibility of advancement is the primary reason why workers either stay at or leave a job, recently rising to first over compensation as the leading cause.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that for nearly half of job hoppers, the choice led to them beating inflation in their salary bumps.
Changing jobs is often a way to rise quickly; while continued tech layoffs can act as a “chute” to backtrack even faster than your growth.
Tech layoffs increased in 2022, hit a peak in 2023 and continued in 2024, according to an ongoing monthly tally from Crunchbase.
In the market for a new job? Built In Colorado found four tech companies that are developing new tech — and will need new hires to do so.
What Arrow Electronics does: Arrow Electronics is a multifaceted tech company that works in robotics, IoT, semiconductors and more.
Arrow Electronics’ Professional Development Perks
- Customized development tracks
- Job training and conferences
- Mentorship program
- Promote-from-within culture
- Lunch-and-learn sessions
Aimed at growth: The Fortune 500 company came in at number 133 this year and can boast over 22,000 employees. A summary report noted that the global company brought in $4.15 billion in gross profit for 2023, with no single customer accounting for more than 2 percent of the sales.
What zLinq does: zLinq is a communications company that provides software and services to manage enterprise lifecycles. The name of the company comes from the ‘last mile,’ which in this context is the “last stretch of wire or wireless access that, in today’s super connected world, links the end user to everything important.”
zLinq’s Professional Development Perks
- Customized development tracks
- Job training and conferences
- Online course subscriptions available
- Paid industry certifications
- Promote-from-within culture
- Lunch-and-learn sessions
- Continuing education available during work hours
- Tuition reimbursement
New products: The teams at zLinq have been busy. The company recently launched a new product called Invoice Processing, which helps mid-market companies manage telecom invoices. Many telecom needs are met through multiple vendors, which can make invoicing difficult. zLinq’s new addition aims to help that.
What FusionAuth does: FusionAuth builds software for developers needing to add authentication to their software products.
FusionAuth’s Culture Perks
- Flexible work schedule
- Open door policy
- Open office floor plan
- Remote work program
- Team-based strategic planning
- OKR operational model
- Hybrid work model
- In-person all-hands meetings
Tech for the tech builder: It takes a special kind of skillset to build tools for the people who build tools — specifically creating authentication plug-ins for developers. Many SaaS developers need to include authentication in their apps, but it can be hard to implement from scratch — o FusionAuth steps in. The team also has helpful resources on the company website and on GitHub, like a software security guide that includes a set of scripts to execute from a local computer to secure a remote server.
What Engine does: Engine is a travel tech company offering a hotel booking platform for business lodging.
Engine’s Office Perks
- Commuter benefits
- Company-sponsored outings
- Fitness stipend
- Company-sponsored happy hours
- Onsite gym
- Onsite office parking
- Free snacks and drinks
- Some meals provided
- Home-office stipend for remote employees
High-performance engines: The teams at Engine are very intentional about the kind of workplace culture that they create. The company has a detailed list that shows what it’s like to problem-solve as a team, the mentality behind hiring and growth and more. The “ways of working” section, for example, notes that the teams are doing five key things: playing by their “own rules,” focusing on high performance, communicating directly and clearly, embracing change and always sticking to the core tenant, which is “striving to be a good person.”
The company culture page sums it up well, “you can’t work at Engine if you are a jerk.”
