Understanding the Professional Perception of an Employee Who Has Spent Over a Decade with the Same Company

How would you perceive an employee who began their career and has remained with the same company for more than 10 years?

An employee who has remained with the same company for over a decade demonstrates a high level of loyalty and commitment. This can be perceived positively as it indicates stability, reliability, and a deep understanding of the company's culture, values, and operations.

However, some may have concerns about adaptability and up-to-date skills. To counter this perception, the employee could showcase their ability to adapt to changes within the company, continuous learning, and their contribution to various projects or initiatives over the years.

It's important to remember that length of service should not be the sole criteria for judging an employee's value or potential. Factors such as performance, skills, adaptability, and willingness to learn should also be considered.

Here are some practical steps to evaluate such an employee:
1. Review the employee's performance over the years. Look for consistent high performance and significant contributions.
2. Assess the employee's ability to adapt to changes. This can be done by examining their response to major changes within the company, such as structural changes, technology implementation, etc.
3. Look for evidence of continuous learning. Has the employee taken steps to update their skills and knowledge? This could be through further education, attending workshops, or obtaining relevant certifications.
4. Consider the employee's interpersonal skills. Long-term employees often have strong relationships within the company, which can be invaluable for team cohesion and morale.
5. Finally, have a candid conversation with the employee about their career aspirations and plans for the future. This can provide insight into their motivation and ambition, which are important factors for long-term success.

Hi,

This situation can be perceived in multiple dimensions !

It primarily depicts the loyalty of the employee wherein the Employer fulfill career aspirations of the employee in terms of opportunity for growth competitive compensation on par with market standards, congenial work environment etc.

Alternatively the other side of the coin may be said employee may be reluctant to step out of the comfort zone and prefer to continue even after 10 years.

The other possible reason may the said employee may not able to get right or better opportunity outside. At times by virtue of service period some employees will reach a particular position / good salary but may be lacking in expected skill set matching his years of experience. Even though these issues will be discussed during annual performance appraisal at times employer may be forced to move on silently as the right replacement candidate may expect more compensation beyond their budget.

Dear Deepika Reddy,

I wish you had given us the context of your query. Are you the employee in question who has spent more than a decade in the same company, or are you the business owner/HR who has received a CV of such a candidate?

You have received two replies, one is AI-generated and the other from a senior member, Mr VM Lakshmi Narayanan. By the way, Mr Narayanan, nice to see your reply after a long time.

Rather than considering whether a person has spent more than a decade in the same company, we need to check whether the person's career advancement has taken place. Like his/her counterparts in other companies, does this person show the intellectual maturity required for the job?

There could be three reasons for a person to continue in the same job. The first one is 'comfort zone', which has been mentioned by Mr Lakshmi Narayanan. The other is normative commitment. The third reason could be the family circumstances, which demand a continuation in the same company for a long time.

An additional reason is based on suspicion. Did this person collude with a customer, supplier, vendor, etc. and gain unethically? If this reason is true, then such persons continue as long as there is no chance of the detection of their collusion. However, a change in top leadership makes them anxious, or they suspect that there is a chance of their unethical conduct getting uncovered. They beat a retreat before the cat comes out of the bag.

There are multiple reasons for a person to continue in the same company for a long time. However, if you are recruiting such a candidate, then be cautious. Please assess his/her candidature from all angles.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar