You’ve taken an interest in a particular role or company and would like to learn more about it from a more seasoned employee. However, is it appropriate to ask “how long have you been working here?”
We’ll discuss the correctness of this phrase below. In addition, we’ll show you some great alternative ways to phrase this question.
Other Ways to Say “How Long Have You Been Working Here”
- How long have you worked in this role?
- Have you worked with this company for a while?
- How long have you worked here?
- Have you been with this company long?
- How long have you been here?
- When did you start?
- How many years have you spent in this role?
- Do you enjoy working here?
- How long have you been a [job title]?
- How long has it been for you?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It is perfectly correct to ask “how long have you been working here?” when you are taking an interest in a particular organization.
- In a more formal email exchange, you can ask “how many years have you spent in this role?” instead.
- In more casual circumstances, you can ask “have you worked with this company for a while?”
Keep reading! In the next section, we’ll discuss our favorite formal and informal synonyms for “how long have you been working here?” in more detail.
Thereafter, we’ll consider how to ask someone how long they have been working for a company using the original phrase.
How Many Years Have You Spent in This Role? (Formal)
If you want to use a more formal register when asking someone about their time spent at a company, you can use the phrase “how many years have you spent in this role?”
This phrase comes across as a sincere and polite question while maintaining a suitably professional tone. Therefore, you can use it to ask an interviewer about their experience at a company.
This question will show your interest without being overly prying. Thus, you can also use it when speaking to a new colleague as a potential icebreaker.
The original phrase, “how long have you been working here?” is perfectly effective in its own right. However, you can use this alternative to mix up your language from time to time.
Let’s see how you can use this phrase in an email example:
Dear Miranda,
I would love to learn more about the culture of this organization.
Therefore, how many years have you spent in this role, and would you say that you have experienced an observable career progression in that time?
Kind regards,
Oliver Morton
Have You Worked With This Company for a While? (Informal)
Another way to say “how long have you been working here?” is “have you worked with this company for a while?”
This phrase comes across as a tad more casual than the original. However, it is still a good way to express your interest in your coworkers, particularly if you are new to a company.
You can also use this phrase when reaching out to other professionals on social networking sites like LinkedIn.
We wouldn’t recommend using this phrase in an interview or a formal email to a hiring manager or colleague. Thus, it is not a better option than “how long have you been working here?” in most settings.
However, employing this question during a friendly conversation with one of your office peers is perfectly suitable.
For example:
I noticed you have a lot of insight into the office culture – have you worked with this company for a while?
Have you worked with this company for a while? If so, I would appreciate some advice on how best to excel in this profession.
Is It Correct to Say “How Long Have You Been Working Here”?
Although it never hurts to change your phrasing here and there using one of the alternatives from our list, “how long have you been working here?” is a perfectly correct phrase too.
This phrase is neither particularly formal nor informal. In fact, it uses rather plain and straightforward phrasing. Therefore, you can use it in most settings, and it’s a perfectly good option for a professional exchange.
You may be wondering whether there’s any difference between these two variations:
- How long have you been working here?
- How long have you worked here?
Fret not, we’ll address this question next!
Essentially, both of these variations are correct. They are essentially direct synonyms for each other and can be used interchangeably.
The only difference is that the former phrase is in the present perfect continuous tense while the latter is in the present perfect simple tense. The latter phrase may sound a touch more formal, but overall, the difference between them is negligible.
In conclusion, “how long have you been working here?” is a correct and suitably professional way to ask your colleagues or superiors about their time at a given company.
If you find our list of synonyms for this phrase useful, feel free to bookmark this page! That way, you can access them whenever you like!