Everyone wants a great job, but for most people, that job is just a means to an end – money. So – even though Google is famous for its employee perks – the company is starting to sweat, because many of the earliest Googlers will soon gain the right to cash in the last part of their pre-IPO options.
Stacy Savides Sullivan, Google’s chief culture officer, talked to Mark Schwanhausser and Elise Ackerman about having those foundational employees jump ship. “We anticipated more because we think it would only be natural,” she said. “We worry every day about this and hope we can stay ahead of it.”
The company will need to move fast – its crucible will occur over the next few months as the three-year anniversary of Google’s IPO takes place.
To give an idea of how much is at stake, Schwanhausser and Ackerman shared this statistic: “Google’s pre-IPO crew is sitting on $2 billion worth of options that have vested already and can be cashed in at a moment’s notice.”
So it appears certain that everyone who doesn’t absolutely love his (or her) job at Google will resign. At this point, even a sterling reputation, free food, and the ability to bring one’s dog to work won’t matter – after all, the dog doesn’t have to be “brought” anywhere when you’re lounging around a multi-million dollar home.
Sullivan is doing her best to work with employees in the midst of these difficulties. “We always have to be understanding where their heads are at,” she stated.
