Contributors
There are over 7,000 technology startups and around 400 multi-national corporations operating in Israel today. Amidst a wave of innovation and following a record year of fundraising and company listings, many dare to launch or develop their careers and their economic future based on this exciting eco-system. So why, despite this, would someone consider joining a multi-national company in Israel?
When thinking about our careers, we tend to weigh the financial aspects of our next career move, however, there are other more personal considerations that come into play and each of us tends to have a slightly different perspective on these.
Organizational culture and the great resignation
As the ‘great resignation’ continues to unfold, there is more discussion about organizational culture than ever. Prospective employees are looking for company cultures that align with their values. As someone looks to change jobs or even careers, they should think about taking a closer look at the culture of the team and company they are considering joining. A strong organizational culture is reflected on many levels, from the quality of its leadership (global and local), values, and guiding principles through to the terms of employment.
One of the significant advantages that a reputable multinational has over what may be perceived as ‘hot’ or ‘exciting’ startups is that they have the time and the budget to prioritize what will form the core values and culture of the company.
They have already developed and invested in their employees, in their processes, in refined messaging, in educating their staff and in building a robust framework that ‘cooler’ companies may not have had the time or the luxury to explore as they pursue rapid growth
Their global footprint offers ample opportunity to understand and maximize the value of a multi-cultural, diverse and geographically dispersed workforce, while delivering culturally tuned and adapted services in the locations in which they operate.
So, while sitting here in our relatively small country, filled with ambition and purpose it would be foolish not to at least consider the advantages of working for a multi-national corporation in Israel, and from those operating in Israel, to hone in on the ones that are a good cultural fit to our personal values and priorities.
Terms of employment
As someone who has founded a technology startup and developed it through to a public listing, and that has been employed in more traditional companies both in Israel and abroad, I can attest that at any age or stage in life, for both employer and employee, there is comfort in having the infrastructure, benefits and standardized terms of employments all ironed out and transparent, as opposed to potentially heavily caveated terms that a less mature company may be able to offer and that is subject to the next business or funding milestone being successfully achieved.
Today, especially in the competitive Israeli high-tech eco-system, there is a lot of attention is paid to the variety of employee perks, but the reality is that most of us are less concerned about having a pool table in the office, the coolest welcome SWAG, or the latest gadget on the market.
I believe that we are more interested in finding the right opportunity that offers the best possible chance to develop and realize our professional and financial potential, and here the multi-national corporations have the upper hand, not only in their ability to offer competitive terms but and importantly in their ability to offer a real professional and financial horizon.
Professional and personal development
As a Mamram alumni, I started my career as a software programmer. Honorably discharged after long military service, I found myself in London, where I was exposed to different cultures and an environment, where organizations are less interested in where you are from and more focused on where are you headed, and what contribution you can make to the project, team, company and more widely to society.
I understood that I could dare to discover what interests and engages me and that these interests may well and should change with time, experience and personal circumstances. Along the way, I discovered the joy and satisfaction of enabling those just starting out in their professional careers to develop their own path and achieve their goals.
Today, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, it’s harder to spread one’s wings beyond the borders of our country and benefit from such opportunities. All the more so for a person at the early stages of their professional career.
Working for an international employer in Israel today, not only opens a massive window of opportunity to different cultures, to the extensive experience of delivery at scale, but also to exciting opportunities for personal and professional development and to geographical and professional mobility that may be less feasible for an Israeli company to offer.
Given the current circumstances, working for a multi-national in Israel offers fast and effective solutions for hybrid working with a diverse global workforce whilst maintaining the professionalism, innovation, and personal development we all crave.
Annabel Levin is Site Manager, UBS Technology Israel
Forbes Israel Contributors are independent writers that were individually picked by Forbes staff. The writers are experts in their field and they provide professional commentary and analysis of current events. The content is unsponsored.
