A new analysis of 12 million career histories is challenging long-held assumptions about which employers actually build careers. The research, discussed in the latest episode of the podcast You Should Know, grades 1,750 of America's largest employers on the real career outcomes of their workers, offering a data-driven alternative to employer marketing claims.
Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, managing director of the Schultz Family Foundation, joined host William Tincup to unpack the findings of Where You Work Matters, an expanded workforce analytics project. The study measures promotion velocity, retention, pay growth, and regrettable turnover to rank employers. As entry-level roles erode and AI reshapes hiring, the insights are particularly timely for HR leaders, workers, and job seekers.
Sigelman explained the core methodology: 'If two people start in the same role at directly competing firms, how likely are they each to move up? How likely are they each to stay? How does their pay change over time?' This empirical approach cuts through employer marketing to reveal actual outcomes.
The findings are stark. Only 22 of roughly 1,750 companies earned Platinum ratings across every category measured. Of hundreds of firms employing financial analysts, just 27 rated as great across early career, growth, and stability stages, and only six of those were in banking or financial services. Standouts included General Mills, Liberty Mutual, and Nike. At Whole Foods, food preparation workers fare surprisingly well because prepared foods drive margins.
Chandrasekaran cited conversations with CHROs at top-rated firms, who point to intentional manager conversations about career trajectory as the practice that separates leaders from laggards. The project's website now offers an occupation finder tool for the class of 2026, surfacing roughly 6,000 highly rated entry-level openings.
Tincup pushed back on conventional HR wisdom, arguing that regrettable turnover, not raw turnover, is the metric that matters. Sigelman and Chandrasekaran agreed, adding that transparency benefits workers too. They also highlighted the disappearance of entry-level jobs, a trend flagged in a recent Harvard Business Review article, as a threat to the future talent pipeline.
The episode and the full dataset are available at whereyouworkmatters.org. For HR leaders and job seekers alike, this research provides a critical lens on which employers are truly investing in their people's growth.
