Sincere question for those who have been with the same company for over a decade or more, what made you decided to do it?

I think that while one can enumerate good reasons, if we are honest these are to some degree rationalizations. There will virtually always be a job with better pay, better benefits, better work-life balance, better everything. Correctly identifying such a job, preparing for the process and ultimately achieving the goal of securing such a position is another matter.

We know that a company is a highly complex machine that remains largely an unknown until experienced from the inside over some time. We at least know what we have and there is a risk in moving. Thus conscience makes cowards of us all. Apart from the unknown, there is the fear of the interview process and the possibility of failure. Failing to get a job feels a little like getting fired. So there is a rational and reasonable fear that must be overcome by something: ambition, dissatisfaction, wanderlust, whatever.

Another factor is inertia, to put it kindly. This falls along a spectrum from laziness or unmotivated to being settled, comfortable, content etc. as already alluded to, there is interplay with the fear component.

Some may quote loyalty, but a caution there is to consider the unrequited nature of an employee’s loyalty to a company. Corporations derive that moniker from its roots indicating a separate entity or body. In effect a super organism that wants to survive. It will mercilessly do what it needs to survive just like the human body will sacrifice limbs to preserve itself (think frostbite).

It’s not wrong to remain but it’s essential to be honest with oneself about the reasons. If money is really your goal, then strategically changing jobs generally far outpaces ladder climbing.

Having said all this, I should point out that I have stayed with a company for over ten years twice. But I know my reasons.

My dad worked as a technical training director for a worldwide engine company for 30+ years. My whole life he had the same job. He liked it because he got to stand around all day and drink coffee and talk about engines. Which he did in his free time any way, haha. The pay was more than enough to support his family and hobbies and he was always out of work early enough to have dinner with his family. These things were what he wanted and he didn't have issues with his co-workers

However, when the company lost traction and had to close the region's training department, they didn't bat an eye about laying him off. There was little loyalty the other way, it's just business.

I have not personally worked at the same company for a decade or more (I'm only a few years out of school), but a large share of my coworkers have been here for 15+ years, and they're frequently asked this question by interviewing candidates, and they all have the same answer: work-life balance, plus benefits.

I had a boss who tried to get me fired. I went to another boss, but it still bothered me so I left. Truth is, I couldn’t see until I left was how I contributed to the situation. Leaving was good for me, made me grow in new ways. Then I went back to old employer in new role.

I am currently at 9.5 years at the same company. I changed roles three times and currently doing what I really enjoy at the moment. Reason for staying is, when I look at my current company, it large enough that I feel like I am in a different company every time I change roles. Having said that, it didn’t go good for my wallet. So will be jumping ship soon!

Hasn’t been a decade yet, but been 8 years and I’ve been here since I graduated college. I stay here because at this point it’s too easy. I work 15-20 hours a week, permanently remote (since before COVID). Get 130k in Atlanta, which for those hours, I can’t complain

I have been with the company I’m at for 11 years. I’ve had several position changes and I’m consistently learning new things. I’m also consistently getting raises. The company I joined started out small and is now part of a conglomerate with over 600 people, so the nature of the company itself has changed too. But mostly I stay because switching companies isn’t fun for me. I make friends slowly and I like feeling secure. I’ve never understood why people will go through the stress of changing companies all the time.

That is true. I have had two jobs within less than 2 years at my current company. Each job feels like a new start.

I’m not sure that most people start a job with the intention of staying for over a decade (I was with my previous company for 14 years). For a variety of reasons, people either choose to stay or not. The reasons for staying can be good/valid like flexibility, expanding roles/promotions, belief in the mission of the company, etc., or they can be for the wrong reasons like complacency or fear of change.

If you like your company and have opportunities to move within the company and/or grow your career and skills, then it makes sense IMO to be hesitant about making a change, as you may find yourself in a situation you regret. You should always be aware of opportunities available to you though, and do what’s best for yourself long term. Short term pay increases are not always the best long term options for you, but fear of taking a risk on a good opportunity is not good either.

I've been here 23 years and, like a lot of the other commenters, I've had 6 major roles here which were also across 4 different board areas so I've had multiple different angles from which to deliver what we do. I'm in a technical role so the tech alone has constantly changed over the years plus I've also worked directly with customers for most of my career here, in various ways, so there has been a ton of new scenarios and situations. I'm a pretty fast moving person who thrives on change so this has worked great for me.

Honestly I think the best thing about being here so long is the countless other people I can start to name who've all been here longer than me, both in the US and in Germany. Most of us have moved around within the company so I have a large network of very long-experienced colleagues in basically every part of the company. And in Germany there is no career stigma if you stay in a role for many, many years so some of the people in my network have been doing the exact same role for more than 20 years and they really are the owner and expert. It's really nice to work for a company that doesn't feel the individual contributors are just a red mark on the bottom line but that they are the lifeblood of what is produced. They also recognize that some of us needs new challenges every day but some of us thrive just as well owning our one topic for our entire career and I don't feel like most American tech companies feel the same.

Have I made less money by staying with one company so long? Most likely yes because the only way to significantly drive up your salary is often to leave. But I always looked at all the things that make daily life bearable and made the decision that way. Do I like my boss and direct colleagues? Absolutely yes? Indirect colleagues? Yes, by far most of them have been great and I could ignore the ones who weren't. Do I have work/life balance? Yes Do I like the work itself? Absolutely!

Is management here perfect? Hell no. But they are leagues in front of the other companies where I worked before I came here and that is what I keep trying to remember as its so easy to forget the positive things in our jobs/lives.

To be honest I admire those people. A position at Red Hat would be a dream!! My longest job is the one I’m currently in which is 4 years (almost). I just wish I had a voice to move up the ladder.

I worked at a company once where some people had been there for 25 years. From what I could tell, they liked the consistency and it was laid back. I do think that generation had a stronger sense of loyalty to their companies. (These people hadn’t been promoted a lot or had executive status. Just normal office workers).

I haven’t stayed at one place for a decade but I did stay at one firm for over seven years and another one for 9.5 years. In each place, I was promoted and constantly learning new things. I also transferred offices and roles a few times. So while the name on the door stayed the same, my actual job didn’t stay the same for more than probably 2 years at a time. Being able to move and grow within the companies was really important to me. I left in both cases when I had done all I could do there and when I had better opportunities in another company.

I've just hit the 10-year mark and i have to say that the reason I'm still here is because the culture works for me, pay is reasonable, and I have a good work/life balance. Recruiters call occasionally but nothing comes close in those three areas so it's easy to pass.

I believe it to be a fairly straight forward equation. If the company continues to invest in you by way of those things which you prioritize and feel is important and that investment is greater than the burden or responsibilities levied upon you then you are seeing a return on your investment and therefore is no need to move elsewhere. As someone who has been with the same company for 20+ years, the grass often can often appear greener elsewhere but appearances can deceive.
Allow those who have taken the leap to be your litmus, stay in contact with them and ask questions which may give you insight to whether they achieved success by how you would gauge the same if you chose to make a move. I often find that the thrill of change often clouds reality and after the "new car smell" wanes, it is often filled with regret. Just my 2 cents.

I was with the same company for over 30 years. this company put me through college and enabled me to change my career 7 times within the organization. This has made me a much more well rounded and experienced person in my field. most people jump companies for the experience and paycheck. but i was able to achieve this in one company.

I have been here 33 years. I was able to get my degree and it worked for my family. It just happened and it hasn’t always been easy, however, would it have been better somewhere else? Perhaps, money was not and should not be the only reason we do something. I know many people think I am crazy for staying and when I look at my retirement—money should have been a
bit more important. If I made more I would have been able to put away more.

I was at my last company for about 13 years. Sometimes as a full time employee sometimes as a contractor. I was a tech trainer and really loved what I was doing, I was basically being paid to learn new tech all the time and figure out how to teach it. I loved the learning, the variety and the people. I actually only left when they sold to another company and I wasn’t to happy with the new folks. My current position is a bit different but I am still constantly getting to learn new things, have been able to expand how I get the info out to others and love the people I get to work with. As long as I feel challenged and have the ability to keep growing I don’t have a lot of motivation to go elsewhere.

Why do you want to do it?