Don't give up on corporate loyalty just yet. It is still strong, even during unprecedented times.

“If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't follow.
I'd be at the bottom to catch them when they fall.”
- Author Unknown

J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets

This is a chant I have been saying since I was seven years old. Of course at that point, I wasn’t sure why I was saying it. I think it was because I was the youngest child and I was trying to gather my own identity swimming in a sea of Giants fans. My angst was coming out of its shell. Then again, I grew up in a small suburban town that has one violent crime every thirty years.

Growing up in Northern Jersey you adopted the New York teams. South Jersey took on the Philadelphia teams. It was that simple. There was no in between but within the family infrastructure there was always a divided camp. With me, I was my own camp. After all these years, I have remained loyal to Gang Green. I bleed green every August through December and pray it carries into January. This loyalty will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Why can we not feel the same level of loyalty for our employer? Let us weigh the concerns and try to rationalize:

1.) Companies are only out to make profit. Very true but so are the New York Jets. As we layer that deeper, so are each and every one of us.
2.) We are all expendable? We are all human and mortal, but when we dedicate ourselves to our friends, they remain with us. If we provide that same dedication and commitment to our roles and the beliefs of the company, that feeling will be reciprocated.
3.) It is just a job. A job is something you do the provide income so you can maintain a certain standard of living. A career is a passionate display of loyalty, commitment, dedication and determination to provide the tools and actions that will lead you to further personal growth and development. The correct question you need to ask yourself: Is this a job or a career?
4.) How do I know the company is rewarding my loyalty. Each day through a series of monetary and non-monetary reward and recognition programs, you are reminded of the impact your service is providing on the bottom line growth of the organization. Companies built trust through loyalty to their customers, vendors, suppliers and associates/employees. They do understand the value of recognition.

When one is offered a career opportunity, it is a tremendous risk to the employer. A new employee is being invited into a new environment and given a tremendous amount of trust with proprietary and sensitive information, excellent training and a request to adhere to the strongest of moral and ethical standards. A company is accepting the risk and the reason is simple: They believe in you and the talent you bring.

This is a formidable honor to be invited into this realm and asked to utilize your expertise for the greater good.

As we continue to witness extraordinary events take place and companies being forced to make decisions that are both trying and difficult, understand that these decisions are meant for the greater good of the population. If you are dedicated, moral, developing your strengths, and loyal to the mission, products/services and the name your stand beyond, your loyalty will pay off when it really counts.

Full blog link:

http://recruiterpoet.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/loyalty-it-isnt-just-...