Once I inform folks how lengthy I’ve been at Buffer — eight years immediately — folks usually have plenty of questions. However one of the widespread is, “Why have you ever stayed so lengthy?”
Eight years is an unusually very long time to be at one firm in tech. It’s additionally an unusually very long time amongst most of my buddy group besides those that work in additional conventional jobs, say in educating or in authorities.
So why have I stayed?
My brief reply is normally the identical — it’s the folks and the product. I actually take pleasure in working alongside the Buffer workforce, and I’m additionally an avid consumer of the product for my private social media accounts and have been since 2013. I actually worth the power I really feel from working alongside a bunch of proficient and pushed teammates and being persistently concerned about what we’re all engaged on. I really like that I’m keen to listen to what the product workforce is doing as a result of it impacts my weekly content material workflows.
That’s the brief reply — I’m nonetheless right here due to the folks and the product, and it’s true. However I needed to take the chance of hitting a brand new milestone to perform a little little bit of an extended put up and a deeper reflection as a result of it’s greater than that. The folks and the product make my work way more satisfying, fascinating, and related, however that isn’t all the pieces.
Typically, staying is the exhausting possibility
I’ve been at Buffer via varied job markets, and Buffer’s model identify carries weight. I’ve had many recruiters attain out over time about new and fascinating roles. I’ve had connections introduce me to somebody who was eager to rent me. I used to be at Buffer throughout what was later referred to as the Nice Resignation when a number of of my teammates, some additionally associates, selected to maneuver on to different firms. The job market was very robust on the time for my space; there have been plenty of unbelievable alternatives, and once you see most of your friends transferring on, it’s exhausting to not ask, “Ought to I be doing the identical?” And doubtlessly the strongest pull — I had my first baby whereas at Buffer and struggled to come back to phrases with coming again to work and balancing having a child a couple of months outdated at residence.
I’ve stayed via all of it, and I haven’t simply stayed as a result of it was the simpler possibility. Once I got here again from household go away, it coincided with the Nice Resignation — I used to be adjusting to having a child at residence and dealing whereas our Advertising and marketing workforce was severely understaffed, and I began transferring right into a management place on the workforce. It was a very difficult time in each thrilling and exhausting methods. Typically, staying was the more durable possibility, but it surely was nonetheless the choice that I needed.
I proceed to be challenged
One of the recurring issues I’ll have a number of associates inform me is that it’s higher to your profession to maneuver to a special firm. You may usually get increased pay, get promoted shortly, and study new issues at a really quick charge. Whereas I agree that these are all true, I’m additionally nonetheless studying and rising at Buffer.
My function has modified solely since I’ve been working at Buffer; I went from purely a person contributor to somebody who’s each a person contributor and managing a workforce. Once I joined Buffer, my work was closely centered on media relations. Over time, that began to shift to incorporate content material, wider firm, communications, and now Buffer’s model. The change has been a welcome one to proceed to push me to study new abilities and get deep into new areas of Advertising and marketing.
I additionally moved right into a management place inside the Advertising and marketing workforce, and I proceed to work on participating and complicated challenges which can be key to Buffer’s model and enterprise. I’m not doing the identical job I used to be employed to do eight years in the past, which is strictly how I might need it. I’ve realized a lot from taking over new tasks and attempting to realize new outcomes over time.
Buffer pays me pretty and generously
It’s necessary to share that another excuse to remain at any firm is compensation. Certainly one of Buffer’s compensation rules is generosity, and I’ve discovered that to be true. My beginning wage at Buffer was $82,790, which was greater than double my earlier wage of $37,500. During the last eight years, my wage has continued to go up both as a result of I used to be advancing in my work or as a result of Buffer was adjusting to market charges with our method to truthful compensation. My present wage is $172,861 — greater than double what it was once I began at Buffer eight years in the past.
This wouldn’t be the case for everybody on the workforce who has been at Buffer for a very long time as a result of they got here in at completely different ranges, and their roles may need shifted lower than mine. I joined at a fairly junior degree and have labored my approach over time to tackle extra possession. Now, I’m working a part of our Advertising and marketing workforce, so my compensation has adjusted pretty with the work and duties I’ve taken on. That is additionally distinctive — not each firm has a clear and truthful wage system that will proceed to regulate with me over time. For some folks I do know, transferring to a brand new firm has been the one approach for them to extend their wage. I haven’t had that problem.
Deep data and context are including to my work
Being in a single place for therefore lengthy might simply be seen as a nasty factor — possibly I’m stagnant, I’m not including new concepts, I’m persevering with to do issues the best way they was. This one is the toughest to grapple with as a result of there may be plenty of fact. I might simply discover myself caught, and I’ve been in that place over time. This solely provides to the problem, although. Can I discover new views from friends in my trade or via continuous studying and experimentation? Can I query the best way that I do work in order that we aren’t staying frozen with an outdated technique?
Over time, I consider I’ve managed to flip my longevity from one thing that might be a detraction from the worth I deliver the workforce to being one in all my distinctive superpowers inside Buffer. Since my work is so near Buffer’s model, and I’m continuously working to share Buffer’s tradition externally, that context continues to be additive. I’ve collected a wealth of data about Buffer particularly, and that context permits me to contribute extra successfully and strategically. It isn’t nearly doing issues the best way they’ve at all times been performed; it is about utilizing the depth of understanding to innovate and information the model ahead.
Buffer is one thing I wish to be part of
What it involves is that I consider in Buffer, and that is one thing I wish to be part of. With Buffer, not solely is our workforce constructing a vital software for individuals who don’t have giant budgets — creators and small enterprise house owners — however Buffer as an organization can also be being inbuilt a really intentional approach. We’re totally clear with our pricing, our salaries, and many different elements of Buffer are clear.
Joel Gascoigne, Buffer’s Founder and CEO, is extraordinarily intentional concerning the selections that he makes for the Buffer workforce and firm. He carried out a four-day workweek through the pandemic due to the chance he noticed of burnout; we have now a beneficiant sabbatical coverage as a result of we all know that after 5 years of working someplace, a bit of additional area for relaxation and reflection can tremendously assist. It’s the form of office the place there are plenty of causes to remain, and lots of people do.
Lots of people keep at Buffer for a very long time
I’m not the exception by being at Buffer for eight years; there are plenty of teammates who’ve been right here for much longer than I’ve. Once we seemed on the numbers in November for Buffer’s 13-year anniversary, we discovered that 49 p.c of the workforce has been at Buffer for over 5 years, one other 39 p.c have been at Buffer for seven years, and 6 p.c have been on the workforce for greater than a decade. Buffer is being constructed to be a long-term firm, and there are lots of people on the workforce dedicated to persevering with to be at Buffer for the lengthy haul as properly.
I’m positive I’ll proceed to get requested why I’ve stayed at Buffer for therefore lengthy by associates and trade friends — my story remains to be fairly uncommon. However, whereas it’s troublesome in tech to search out firms which have a extra long-term method to constructing a enterprise, it’s not unimaginable. I love the leaders who discover these long-term alternatives, and after eight years of feeling joyful, challenged, and within the work day-after-day, I’m thrilled to be one in all them.