The Loyalty Gap: Who’s Staying and Why

Understanding the Firm-Committed Careerist and the Discerning Achiever Across Five Key Roles

Retention in law firm marketing and business development teams has never been more complex. Salary benchmarking helps firms stay competitive, but compensation alone no longer predicts whether someone will stay or go. Professionals at every level weigh a mix of career direction, leadership support, workload sustainability, flexibility, and long-term alignment before making decisions about loyalty.

Across KHS People’s Curated Salary Data & Intelligence report, two behavioral profiles surface repeatedly across titles:

• The Firm-Committed Careerist
• The Discerning Achiever

These two profiles are not personality types—they’re behavioral patterns shaped by experience, leadership environment, and perceived opportunity. Both can be found in Directors, Senior Managers, Managers, Specialists, and Coordinators. Each role experiences loyalty and mobility differently, yet the underlying patterns share common threads.

This post explores the loyalty gap through the lens of these two profiles and provides self-assessment checklists for every role, along with actionable takeaways.

Understanding the Two Profiles

The Firm-Committed Careerist

This group demonstrates clear, steady loyalty. They stay with their firm because they feel supported, connected, seen, and valued. They often report high satisfaction with leadership, firm culture, team chemistry, and working arrangement stability.

Traits often aligned with this profile include:

• Long-term tenure expectations

• Strong alignment with leadership and team culture

• High satisfaction with role clarity and scope

• Positive manager relationships

• Trust in the firm’s structure and decision-making

• Strong interest in internal advancement

• Predictable hybrid or remote arrangements they depend on

Directors who fit this profile often cite firm culture, leadership, and working arrangement consistency as top reasons for staying—factors that rank even higher than compensation.

The Discerning Achiever

This group is selective, strategic, and increasingly mobile. They stay when the environment genuinely supports their growth and leave when it does not. Their loyalty is earned, not assumed.

Common traits include:

• Active or passive market watchfulness

• Sensitivity to workload imbalance

• Strong preference for growth, visibility, and expanded responsibilities

• Desire for recognition and equitable advancement

• Clear attention to working arrangement flexibility

• Quick response to leadership inconsistency or structural instability

Senior Managers and Managers who fit this profile often report that compensation gaps, workload strain, unclear advancement, or leadership turnover trigger exploration—even when they feel loyal to their teams.

How Loyalty Plays Out Across Five Roles

While the two profiles show up at every level, they express differently depending on the role’s scope, accountability, and proximity to leadership.

Directors

Profile Tendencies

Firm-Committed Careerists at the Director level show extremely high alignment with firm culture, leadership, and long-term commitment. They often anticipate staying 7–11+ years and show strong satisfaction in team connection, leadership access, and scope of responsibility. They typically receive steady recognition, meaningful visibility, and stable working arrangements.

Discerning Achievers at this level aren’t dissatisfied—they’re simply more watchful. They pay close attention to leadership alignment, strategic influence, compensation competitiveness, and long-term availability of opportunities. A disruption in culture, a change in CMO, or a new return-to-office mandate can shift this group toward mobility.

Self-Assessment for Directors

1. Does my role still offer influence and decision-making space that matches my experience?

Takeaway: If influence is shrinking, schedule a conversation about strategic involvement or cross-functional leadership opportunities.

2. Do I feel aligned with firm leadership on direction, values, and communication style?

Takeaway: Identify one area of misalignment and propose a structured check-in with leadership.

3. Am I receiving enough feedback to continue growing at the senior level?

Takeaway: Request quarterly strategic feedback—not performance feedback—to refine long-term direction.

4. Is my working arrangement still predictable and supportive of my productivity?

Takeaway: If expectations have shifted, propose a written hybrid plan that works for both sides.

5. Do I see a clear internal runway for the next 3–5 years?

Takeaway: If not, outline your ideal path and initiate a conversation about how to build toward it internally.

Senior Managers

Profile Tendencies

Data shows a split: some Senior Managers report high satisfaction after recent moves (Strategic Movers), while others remain committed due to solid leadership and opportunities for expanded responsibilities.

Firm-Committed Careerists at this level stay because they feel trusted with responsibility, supported by leadership, and connected to team culture. Working arrangement stability and predictable scope play large roles in their loyalty.

Discerning Achievers often remain alert to outside opportunities. They stay for growth and recognition but move when internal advancement slows or resources fall short. Many receive more responsibility than expected—rewarding for some, overwhelming for others.

Self-Assessment for Senior Managers

1. Am I gaining the strategic exposure needed for the next level?

Takeaway: Ask to attend one key leadership meeting each month to strengthen strategic visibility.

2. Is my workload sustainable, or am I carrying gaps left by turnover or restructuring?

Takeaway: List your top five responsibilities and identify one area where support is needed; present this to leadership.

3. Do I have clarity on advancement timing, expectations, and scope?

Takeaway: Request a promotion roadmap with specific milestones.

4. Does my manager provide direction and feedback I can act on?

Takeaway: If not, ask for structured monthly feedback touch points.

5. Are my working arrangement expectations clear and consistent?

Takeaway: Clarify expectations in writing so flexibility remains reliable.

Managers

Profile Tendencies

Managers show some of the biggest loyalty divides. Many who stay do so for stability, supportive teams, and working arrangement predictability. Those who consider moving often cite compensation gaps, workload overload, or leadership turnover.

Firm-Committed Careerists stay because they feel grounded: trustworthy leadership, solid culture, and reliable flexibility support them. They may watch the market but are not actively pursuing changes.

Discerning Achievers track advancement closely and respond quickly to red flags like delayed promotions, lack of recognition, or unclear reporting structures. Leadership turnover, shifting team dynamics, and resource shortages influence this group heavily.

Self-Assessment for Managers

1. Am I supported with the resources needed to perform at a high level?

Takeaway: Document recent workload strains and propose a reallocation or additional support.

2. Do I feel recognized for the value I bring?

Takeaway: Request quarterly recognition or impact discussions focused on outcomes, not tasks.

3. Is my career path clearly mapped, or does it feel reactive?

Takeaway: Schedule a focused meeting to define the next role, required skills, and timeline.

4. Does leadership change disrupt my progress or clarity?

Takeaway: Identify which decisions require stability and request transparency on structural shifts.

5. Is my working arrangement predictable and respected?

Takeaway: If inconsistency appears, align expectations directly with your immediate supervisor.

Specialists

Profile Tendencies

Specialists tend to stay when they feel trusted, supported, and exposed to new areas of work. They value responsibility, autonomy, learning opportunities, and working arrangement flexibility. They often grow through hands-on experience, cross-training, and expanding their project scope.

Firm-Committed Careerists stay when they receive consistent development opportunities, experience trust from leadership, and see a long-term path. They appreciate being given room to try new things.

Discerning Achievers stay when the growth is steady—but move quickly when workloads rise without support or when recognition lags behind contributions. They are heavily influenced by whether the environment offers diverse, skill-expanding projects.

Self-Assessment for Specialists

1. Am I being offered opportunities to stretch into new areas of responsibility?

Takeaway: Request one new project each quarter to broaden your skill set.

2. Do I have autonomy to approach tasks in a way that works for me?

Takeaway: If micromanagement is a barrier, outline the workflow you prefer and share it with your manager.

3. Is there clear investment in my training and development?

Takeaway: Identify one course, seminar, or program and request firm support.

4. Do I have visibility into work that prepares me for the next step?

Takeaway: Ask to assist on one cross-functional or client-facing project per quarter.

5. Are my working arrangement preferences respected consistently?

Takeaway: Clarify expectations and propose simple structures around remote/hybrid days.

Coordinators

Profile Tendencies

Coordinator loyalty varies widely. Many show early-career mobility, but those who stay long-term do so because of strong team culture, support, and opportunities to learn. Working arrangement expectations influence this group heavily.

Firm-Committed Careerists appreciate supportive managers, predictable expectations, and visible growth paths through mentorship or cross-training. They often enjoy high team connection scores and feel strong alignment with leadership and culture.

Discerning Achievers move more frequently—they seek larger roles, diverse projects, higher compensation, and clearer progression. A coordinator with high ambition becomes mobile quickly if the environment feels stagnant or unclear.

Self-Assessment for Coordinators

1. Am I gaining enough exposure to build skills for the next level?

Takeaway: Request to assist on one new type of project each month.

2. Do I feel comfortable asking questions and receiving guidance?

Takeaway: Establish a weekly touch point with your manager for support.

3. Does my team include mentors who help shape my development?

Takeaway: Identify someone you trust and request a monthly mentorship conversation.

4. Is my workload manageable enough for me to learn and grow?

Takeaway: If overloaded, propose a rotation of responsibilities to balance learning and execution.

5. Are my working arrangement expectations clear and respected?

Takeaway: Confirm these directly with your supervisor and ask for consistency.

What These Profiles Tell Us About the Loyalty Gap

Across all five roles, three patterns emerge that shape modern loyalty:

1. Leadership relationships matter more than compensation. Professionals stay when they trust their leaders. They leave when that trust breaks down.

2. Predictable working arrangements now influence long-term loyalty. Flexible or hybrid structures are not perks—they are part of retention infrastructure.

3. Growth, visibility, and role clarity shape the difference between staying and searching. Career progression is no longer defined by time alone. It’s defined by opportunity, skill-building, and recognition.

Final KHS Thought: Loyalty Is Built, Not Assumed

The Firm-Committed Careerist and the Discerning Achiever are not opposing types—they represent two ends of a spectrum that professionals move along throughout their careers. Loyalty is dynamic. A Director who feels deeply anchored today may shift toward exploration if leadership changes, resources decline, or working arrangements become unpredictable. Likewise, a Coordinator or Specialist who once felt restless can become firmly rooted when given clarity, trust, and steady guidance. These patterns change as roles evolve, expectations shift, and firms adjust their strategies.

When firms understand the forces behind each profile, they can address loyalty gaps with intention rather than assumption. This means paying attention to what truly retains people: reliable flexibility, balanced workloads, meaningful communication, recognition, and long-term visibility. Loyalty grows when professionals feel seen, supported, and set up for progress—not simply compensated for their time.

Professionals also benefit from understanding their own patterns. Recognizing whether you lean toward firm-committed stability or discerning selectivity provides clarity about what you need to thrive. That awareness helps guide conversations with leadership, shapes decisions about timing and growth, and strengthens the long-term health of both the individual and the team.

Loyalty doesn’t appear on its own. It is cultivated through alignment, support, and consistent actions that show people their contributions matter—and that their careers can grow where they are.

Kate Harry Shipham
Founder & CEO
KHS People
kate@khspeople.com