The Problem with the Question "Where Do You See Yourself in Three to Five Years?"

There is a question that shows up in almost every interview, performance review, and development conversation: “where do you see yourself in three to five years?”

At first glance, the question feels harmless and even sounds thoughtful. And, like most managers, I have asked this questions to most of my employees over the years. But when we take a moment to think about, we realise that the question is actually loaded in ways we rarely acknowledge.

What I mean by this is simple first, the question assumes that everyone wants more. That everyone wants more responsibility, more leadership, more titles, more growth. It assumes ambition only moves in one direction.

And in turn it leaves very little room for the people who do not see their future as a straight upward climb. It leaves very little room for people who just wants the same and are content in their current position and with their current life.

Many organisations still operate with a career ladder mindset that is decades old. The entire system is built on the idea that the only meaningful growth is vertical growth. If you want depth, mastery, or stability, you are treated as an exception rather than a legitimate kind of ambitious.

The question also exposes a quiet but powerful truth about work. There is usually a right answer. Employees know their response can shape future opportunities, so they give the version of ambition that sounds impressive. Something about leading teams or taking on more scope. Something that looks good on a succession chart. It becomes scripted ambition rather than honest reflection.

This hits people differently depending on where they are in life. Ambition is not steady. Some seasons call for stretch, some seasons demand stability. Some people are building families or caring for others or managing personal challenges. Yet the question assumes constant expansion as the default.

For many neurodivergent professionals, the disconnect is even stronger. Some of us thrive through depth, repetition, and mastery. We grow by becoming excellent at the role we have, not by constantly moving to the next one. Yet the question is biased toward fast moving, future oriented thinkers. It penalises people whose gifts live in precision and presence.

And if we are honest, the question often serves the company more than the person. It helps managers plan. It helps leadership assess risk. But for the individual, it does not always help them design a life. A career plan and a life plan are not the same thing, yet we treat them as if they should align perfectly.

It can also create pressure for the people who do not know yet. Not everyone has a five year vision. And not having one does not mean lack of drive, it simply means they are human.

This question tends to reward performance theatre rather than truth. People learn the safe answers, they learn that staying still is seen as laziness. They learn that wanting the same job in three years is a risky thing to say even if it is honest.

Maybe the real issue is that our definition of ambition is too narrow. Ambition can mean better boundaries, healthier hours, more meaningful work, deeper expertise, or a life with more stability. Ambition does not always look like climbing. Sometimes it looks like rooting.

And overall, I think that companies fear stagnation more than burnout. They celebrate motion and speed even when it’s frantic. They dismiss stillness even when stillness is what keeps people healthy. A person who wants to stay in the same role for a while is often viewed as a problem to solve, as someone who lacks ambitions and who is lazy.

So maybe the better question is not where do you see yourself in five years. Maybe the better questions are simpler:

• What kind of work motivates you up right now?

• What conditions help you do your best work?

• What would growth feel like this year

• What do you want more of and less of?

These questions that invite honesty rather than performance and they can create real conversations instead of rehearsed ones. These questions recognise that ambition has many shapes and that staying where you are can be just as powerful as climbing.