[calrueb]

Do you mean for a mid-level engineer with experience, or a college grad like the parent comment? My impression is if you were to try rest-and-vesting as an L3 (junior) SWE at any FAANG firm, you are eventually going to get PIP'ed out. It is very much "up or out" at least to L4 or L5. You may be able to hang around for two years, but then you're going to find yourself back in the job market.

That said if we are talking about mid-level/L5 engineers... then yes, I agree. From a far, it seems very possible to coast for a full 4 year equity grant if you situate yourself correctly, and have a manager that lets it slide.

[kodah]

An L3 who remains an L3 will get PIP'd. If they're tenured it's possible, but if they're forever senior people will start doubting them. Staff, I think, is the first level that can really be "sat" in. I say sat in because at Staff "coasting" probably has a different definition that's what being used by the phrase people are referencing. It's more like you don't have to chase advancement to stay employed.

[piva00]

Which doesn't really make sense. Not necessarily every senior engineer wants or even should become Staff. It's a completely different role, it also has much less vacancies than for seniors.

Forcing seniors to go up or out is an illogical way to shoot yourself on the foot... They are the experienced engineers who can train the next batch of junior/mid-level that might want to become Staff later. Seniors are usually the engine of onboarding.

Some people like to be good at what they do without having to chase higher positions to perform a different job, I really don't understand why a company would force seniors to go up or out.

[raincom]

Not for juniors,of course.