Longevity vs. speed: What matters more in climbing the corporate ladder in Singapore?

SINGAPORE: An employee who has been working in the corporate world for almost four years took to an online forum on Wednesday (Feb 26) to ask Singaporeans with more work experience what is more important in the corporate world—lasting long or going fast. Many shared their two cents on the matter in the post’s comments section.

“Something I observed while working in corporate for about four years now is that quite a number of the heads and directors are people that have been working in the company for 10 years or more,” the writer shared. “I feel that while some of them may not be extremely competent or intelligent, because they have worked in the company for so long, they have built relationships with people from different departments all around the company and that, combined with their experience, allows them to ask for favours and get things done easily.

“They also have more ‘freedom’ and ‘power’ in the company, and that allows them to find opportunities to slack off and have an easier life.

“On the other hand, I have seen new joiners come in, very ‘siao on’, very aggressive, trying to do many things and give their 100 per cent every day, and in the end, they quit in less than one year and are struggling to find another job.”

After making this observation, the writer couldn’t help but wonder what the key factor is. “So it seems like the slackers [who] know how to pace themselves and last very long in the company survive long enough, and they can eventually get promoted to manager, head, or director positions. This allows them to have a cushy salary, stability, more freedom in their work, and the power to command junior staff to do work. They are also the ones who end up [getting] married, [starting] a family, [buying] a house, and [buying] a car.

“Hence, I feel that the ‘meta’ in corporate is to just try and survive longer than other people. As more and more people quit, eventually, you become more senior in the company and get promoted. You don’t even have to stand out or do great projects; you just have to survive as long as possible.”

These observations led the writer to ask Singaporeans for their opinion on whether longevity or speed is more important in a corporate setting.

Singaporeans were generous with their insights. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said one.

Another shared his personal timeline for deciding how long he will stay in a company. “This is the rule I follow when planning to stay in a company,” he shared. “First year: introduction to the company politics. Second year: learn your tasks. Third year: master your tasks. Fourth year: try to take on additional tasks. Fifth year: no promotion? Leave. Promoted? Repeat the second year onwards.

“If you want to jump the ladder quickly, then just stay two to three years. However, ensure you are packed with lots of skills and are great at adapting. Sometimes, those bosses prefer someone that they can work with. Not a smart and great performer. Some even will think you become a threat if you are too capable. So it’s your choice. There are pros and cons to both.”

See also: Employee’s new job earns her $3.5k a month, up from $3k, but she has to commute for 1.5 hours per day and asks, “Is it worth it?”