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Interestingly you don't see lots of article on the converse, but I'm getting thrown off by long tenures as well. I've seen a lot of issues with people staying

Interestingly you don't see lots of article on the converse, but I'm getting thrown off by long tenures as well. I've seen a lot of issues with people staying 10-15y in the same job People get set in their ways, lack the diversity of experience that helps be creative in finding solutions, considering certain issues as insurmountable and a fact of life. In my current job I work with a few people who have been around forever pretty clearly because they are bad and failed to find something else. It might be generalizing a bit and certainly staying 15y in a job doesn't mean the person is bad, but it certainly brings some questions as well. We don't talk a lot about that, but I see long tenures as an anti pattern.

hackitup7 4y ago
I think it depends a bit on the job trajectory as well. Getting promoted several times in 10 years at a company that grows and successfully vs. a flat career trajectory at a company with flat growth tells a pretty different story.
ip26 4y ago
On the other hand, I’ve seen very strong candidates who nominally worked the same job for 10-15 years, but when I probe I discover they have explored every nook and cranny of that job, developing expertise in the entire possible scope. That’s a positive look IMO.
AndyDevine 4y ago
I'm 37 years in the industry. Four jobs. 1 year (starter marriage at a big company in a big city), 10 years (great startup with a great leader where the culture was destroyed after he sold the company), 17 (the best technical challenge for me, but small company bought by big company which outsourced slowly but relentlessly. I would have left five years earlier but in 2008 I was just happy to still have job. I did my best work there), 9 years (still there, now principal SE). I'm a serial monogamist. I think staying, being invested and caring is in my best interest and the company's best interest. The down side is knowing when it's time to go. Similar to what OP said about short tenures, you need to find out why people stayed so long. Agreed it can lead to parochial thinking. I've also known long tenure seniors that are at best no better than juniors only a couple years out of school. I hate interviewing candidates, but my former manager told me it was the most important thing I do. Choose my future teammates. An hour is precious little time to suss out competence and character.
eschneider 4y ago
As someone who's been in the industry since the late 80s, that's certainly a perception that some people hold and certainly a factor in why I left my last position after 11 years at the same company (well, several acquisitions along the way.) At some point folks consider a long tenure a negative when you look for your next position and you're best off leaving before that happens.

hackitup7 4y ago

I think it depends a bit on the job trajectory as well. Getting promoted several times in 10 years at a company that grows and successfully vs. a flat career trajectory at a company with flat growth tells a pretty different story.

ip26 4y ago

On the other hand, I’ve seen very strong candidates who nominally worked the same job for 10-15 years, but when I probe I discover they have explored every nook and cranny of that job, developing expertise in the entire possible scope. That’s a positive look IMO.

AndyDevine 4y ago

I'm 37 years in the industry. Four jobs. 1 year (starter marriage at a big company in a big city), 10 years (great startup with a great leader where the culture was destroyed after he sold the company), 17 (the best technical challenge for me, but small company bought by big company which outsourced slowly but relentlessly. I would have left five years earlier but in 2008 I was just happy to still have job. I did my best work there), 9 years (still there, now principal SE). I'm a serial monogamist. I think staying, being invested and caring is in my best interest and the company's best interest. The down side is knowing when it's time to go. Similar to what OP said about short tenures, you need to find out why people stayed so long. Agreed it can lead to parochial thinking. I've also known long tenure seniors that are at best no better than juniors only a couple years out of school. I hate interviewing candidates, but my former manager told me it was the most important thing I do. Choose my future teammates. An hour is precious little time to suss out competence and character.

eschneider 4y ago

As someone who's been in the industry since the late 80s, that's certainly a perception that some people hold and certainly a factor in why I left my last position after 11 years at the same company (well, several acquisitions along the way.) At some point folks consider a long tenure a negative when you look for your next position and you're best off leaving before that happens.