The Great Resignation has dominated headlines over the past year. But the picture is quite different at these seven Boston companies, where employees were excited to share what drew them to their workplaces and what keeps them committed to staying.
According to a Gartner survey published in March 2022, only 29.1 percent of global IT workers reported a “high intent” to stay at their current employer — a lower intent than any other corporate sector. This percentage was even less for younger workers, with just 19.9 percent of IT workers under 30 having a high likelihood of remaining at their company, compared to 48.1 percent of people ages 50 to 70.
High turnover rates are bad news for companies, who may suffer negative impacts on their workplace morale, product or service quality, and even revenue as a result. After all, it is taxing and time-consuming for company leaders to constantly recruit, hire and train new employees, a process that can also distract from the organization’s advancement toward long-term goals.
On the flip side, it is no walk in the park to be a job seeker. The job hunt is demanding and unpredictable, and it takes time to gain confidence and adjust to a new product, team and company culture. Plus, employers may hesitate to hire candidates with a lot of different workplaces on their resumes over a short period of time.
For these seven Boston employees, whose tenures range from three years to more than 15 years, the future at their companies looks bright. Many were initially interested in their companies because of innovative products and technology, but what convinced them to stay were growth opportunities, exciting and challenging projects, positive relationships with colleagues and supervisors, and cultures that prioritized work-life balance.
Built In Boston connected with longtime employees at Ahold Delhaize USA, WHOOP, Simply Business and four other companies to learn more about their career journeys and what advice they have for job seekers applying to their workplaces.
Principal Software Engineer Abel Escalante was drawn to Ahold Delhaize USA, the e-commerce arm of grocery retailer Ahold Delhaize USA, because of its dedication to innovating its platform and maintaining a healthy work-life balance for employees. He advises anyone interested in applying for a role at the company to shrug off overthinking and “just do it.”
How long have you been at Ahold Delhaize USA?
My journey with Ahold Delhaize USA started in August 2017 when I joined the group as a contractor. Then, less than a year later, I had the opportunity to become a full-time employee at Retail Business Services. Finally, I joined the team at Ahold Delhaize USA right after its creation in February 2019, so from the start to the present, it’s been about five-and-a-half years.
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at Ahold Delhaize USA in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
The main reason I started my journey with Ahold Delhaize USA was the company’s willingness and eagerness to innovate. Ahold Delhaize USA has worked aggressively to become one of the top e-commerce platforms within the retail business.
As for why I’ve stayed, Ahold Delhaize USA has always championed a healthy company culture. Ahold Delhaize USA puts significant value on work-life balance, which I’ve appreciated during my tenure.
Ahold Delhaize USA puts significant value on work-life balance, which I’ve appreciated during my tenure.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
Don’t overthink it, just do it! You won’t regret it.
This is the advice I'd give to anyone interested in pursuing work in this field or anyone expressing interest in joining my team or any other team at Ahold Delhaize USA. What you learn here at Ahold Delhaize USA might not be found at any other place.
Behnoosh Tavakoli initially applied to WHOOP, a fitness and health technology company, because the company’s mission — to unlock human performance — aligned with her passions and interests. Now Vice President of Signal Processing, Tavakoli encourages people with expertise in physiological monitoring and research who thrive in a fast-paced workplace to apply for a role.
How long have you been at WHOOP?
I have been at WHOOP for seven years.
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at WHOOP in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
I joined WHOOP because the mission of the company aligned with my passion. Also, my experience met the position’s requirements.
My main reasons for staying at WHOOP are that I am part of an agile startup team and my projects are exciting and challenging. Additionally, WHOOP has a diverse culture and allows everyone to grow. Along with my team’s work getting recognized internally, I get satisfaction by seeing my contributions help our members achieve their goals and enhance behavior.
My main reasons for staying at WHOOP are that I am part of an agile startup team and my projects are exciting and challenging.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
The positions in our team are proper for someone with a signal processing background who is looking for a fast-paced environment and is passionate about physiological monitoring and research. Being versatile and collaborative are pluses!
Robert Renner was hoping to leverage his background in insurance and transition to the tech industry when he applied to Simply Business, an information technology company that provides insurance for small businesses. After several years with Simply Business, Renner, a manager of insurance product development, is excited to stay because of the company’s customer-centric approach and growth opportunities.
How long have you been at Simply Business?
Just more than three-and-a-half years. I started working at Simply Business in April 2019.
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at Simply Business in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
After working for a major insurance carrier for six years, I was looking for a new challenge. Interested in the tech industry, I saw Simply Business as an opportunity to join a tech company where I would be able to leverage my insurance knowledge.
One aspect that I appreciate about working at Simply Business is the level of importance they place on their customers. The first project I worked on was aimed at simplifying the questions on our online form to make them easier to understand. I continue to work with a customer-first approach today, as we work to help customers understand their small business insurance needs and make the purchasing process easy.
The growth at Simply Business and the opportunities available have also been factors in my longevity here. Since starting, we have grown in size as a team and grown through our product offering and insurance carrier partners. It has been an exciting journey, and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for Simply Business as it continues to make its name known in the small business insurance market.
The growth at Simply Business and the opportunities available have also been factors in my longevity here.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
Showing is always better than telling. On the insurance product development team, we seek to hire candidates from roles within the insurance industry and, because of that, it’s normally their first role in tech.
Anyone can say that they are interested in working in tech and that’s why they are a good fit for the role, but it’s much more impactful to be able to demonstrate that interest. This can be done through obtaining certifications, completing online classes or speaking about different books, podcasts or articles you read or listened to about our field.
The other thing that goes a long way is doing your homework. A candidate choosing a job that fits them is just as important as a company choosing a candidate who fits. Learn everything you can by going through the Simply Business website, reading reviews, chatting with current employees and asking questions about the company and the role in the interview; it truly stands out.
From retention marketing to analytics to growth marketing, Neha Mazhar has done it all at Rue Gilt Groupe, an e-commerce company that connects shoppers to off-price designers and brands. Director of Growth Marketing Mazhar advises job seekers to apply to any role that piques their interest — even if their experience doesn't check off every requirement.
How long have you been at Rue Gilt Groupe?
I’m coming up on eight years this January!
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at Rue Gilt Groupe in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
I joined Rue Gilt Groupe as a marketing analyst, a role in which I focused on root cause analysis to identify new and active buyer consumer behaviors and trends that informed much of the company’s growth strategy and decision-making. I accepted the marketing analyst role because it allowed me to own the analytics for real, live campaigns and grow my technical skill set through end-to-end ownership.
Over the years, the flexibility to grow and learn at Rue Gilt Groupe has afforded me several opportunities to learn about blending data, strategy and consumer behaviors, which are all skills that drive tangible business impact. The opportunity to continuously learn and be challenged with new experiences has continued to keep me motivated and engaged. My Rue Gilt Groupe journey has led me from retention marketing to analytics to growth marketing, and I picked up a whole set of new skills at every turn.
Today, I am growing my own team with full ownership of the whole marketing funnel for active buyers, lapsed buyers and paid retargeting. My time here has passed by in the blink of an eye and I’ve loved every second!
The opportunity to continuously learn and be challenged with new experiences has continued to keep me motivated and engaged.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
If you’re interested in an impact-oriented, data-driven, collaborative, empowered, tenacious, innovative, passionate and kind culture, apply to Rue Gilt Groupe today! Many of the best parts about my Rue Gilt Groupe experience have been the people I’ve worked with, navigating the goals that we’ve set for ourselves and celebrating our successes together.
Apply to the role of your interest and watch yourself expand until you make it the role of your dreams. Don’t check off every qualification in the job description? That’s okay! Apply to any role that excites you and sparks delight. There are so many people here who are looking for what you uniquely bring to the table, and we’d be so happy to have you on the team.
When the company she was working at was acquired by Nuance in 2007, Jill Carrero wasn’t sure she wanted to work for her biggest industry competitor. Her tune quickly changed, however, as she discovered impressive technology, talented colleagues and caring leadership at the Burlington-based provider of conversational AI solutions.
How long have you been at Nuance?
I’ve had an employee number for just under 17 years. I say it like that because Nuance acquired the company I previously worked for in 2007. At that time, Nuance was the big gorilla in the industry and we were the gnat. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work for our biggest competitor, but it ended up working out for the best!
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at Nuance in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
Nuance was always a company that we looked up to and competed hard with. I came for the amazing technology, but I stayed for the people and the culture.
In my time on team Nuance, I’ve stayed grounded because of my talented teammates who make me better, our leadership team that truly cares about whether I am happy and successful and have a bright future.
I came for the amazing technology, but I stayed for the people and the culture.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
Nuance recently got acquired by Microsoft, so we’re in an exciting period of change and opportunity. There are so many new chances for people to bring thoughts and ideas to the table to match the speed of innovation here. We’re all about that growth mindset, so take advantage of that.
We’re also big on having an inclusive and diverse company culture. We want people to be themselves and add to who we are, so bring your authentic self and you’ll succeed!
After transitioning from sales engineer to customer success consultant, Laura Irwin credited internal mobility and growth opportunities as some of her main reasons for staying at Mirakl, a Somerville-based provider of marketplace solutions for businesses. For anyone applying to a position at Mirakl, Irwin suggests that they are prepared to speak on how they embody the company’s core values, including succeeding through expertise and satisfying and empowering clients.
How long have you been at Mirakl?
I’ve been at Mirakl for five years and eight months!
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at Mirakl in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
Throughout Mirakl’s interview process, I learned more about their unique platform and cutting-edge technology, which excited me and made me think that a role working with their product would be an excellent fit for me. This led me to work with Mirakl’s sales team for four years as a sales engineer supporting our rocketship growth.
Since then, I have moved to Mirakl’s customer success organization as a functional consultant, supporting our customers’ adoption and use of our platform features and guiding them through enhancements of their marketplace platform capabilities.
My experience with Mirakl's internal mobility process has been one of the biggest reasons I've stayed as long as I have. Mirakl is open to giving their employees opportunities where they feel they can add overall value to the business and our customers, which has helped me grow exponentially in my professional career.
Mirakl is open to giving their employees opportunities where they feel they can add overall value to the business and our customers.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
Mirakl employees are always working toward our core values — succeed through expertise, satisfy and empower clients, work hard together, go above and beyond, and get things done. These values are embedded into our hiring process and work culture, so be prepared to speak to your own experiences in those contexts.
Brian Benet was initially drawn to marketing technology company Funnel because he saw it was offering an important tool, helping businesses automate data collection, in an emerging market. He stayed at Funnel, where is now an account executive, because of its commitment to prioritizing a culture of curiosity, transparency and psychological safety.
How long have you been at Funnel?
I joined Funnel in December 2016, so it has been almost six years.
What drew you to apply for and accept a role at Funnel in the first place, and what are your most important reasons for staying as long as you have?
I was drawn to Funnel at first because it is a really interesting tool that was building out and shaping a newly emerging area in the market. Even though I didn’t have any background in data, analytics or marketing, I saw that the tool solves a serious need that benefits marketing organizations.
That is why I started at Funnel, but I stayed because of the culture. Funnel is the only company that I have seen that actually sticks to its stated values and uses them to guide decision-making.
When looking to hire new employees and management, leaders prioritize candidates whom they believe will best uphold a culture of curiosity, transparency and, most of all, psychological safety. I wasn’t quite sure what that last term meant at first, but it means that employees have the ability to try new things and ask questions without fear of repercussions. This has led to teams being more creative, and it’s the reason why so few people leave Funnel.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for an open role on your team?
Show your curiosity and willingness to learn. Let your personality shine through and come up with good questions. We like to have fun here!
