Companies are finding it more and more important to retain the talent they have since it is so difficult and costly to attract new talent. While this can lead to some amazing opportunities, it can also reduce your career options and lock you into a company you would rather leave. This can include anything from stock options to a company car to a promised sabbatical after 7 years. Whatever the incentive, it is always important to clearly evaluate it with an eye towards how it effects your ability to do what is best for your career.
Stock options are one of the most popular incentives used in high-tech industries today.
As people are learning, though, stock options may be worthless by the time you can exercise them, especially in volatile startup companies. Still, the promise of future rewards can keep you at a company longer than prudent as you try to force a way to make those stock options pay off. This is not wise since you always want to make sure that you are doing what is best for your career, not what is best for you stock options or your company. While stock options have been the most popular incentive in the past, here are other incentives, though, which are a bit more worrisome to any career minded individual. In my mind, though, there was one troubling aspect to the plan.