Stop thinking tenure gets you promotions — it doesn’t. A former senior leader at Amazon explains what actually works.

• Brandon Southern is the former head of analytics at eBay, Amazon, and GameStop. 
• He says that you shouldn’t mistake tenure for value. Companies won’t pay more for the same service.
• To get a raise, show the company you’ve significantly increased your skills or responsibilities. 

As a former senior leader in analytics roles at Amazon, eBay, and other organizations, I’ve frequently witnessed employees cite tenure in their list of reasons for deserving a promotion or a raise.

While time spent in a specific role may correlate with commitment, experience, or knowledge, it doesn’t necessarily correlate with value to a company. To get a raise or promotion, you’re going to need more than tenure — you’re going to need to create additional value or increase your scope of work.