Several people have left Google to work for Facebook, and one of the main reasons behind their departure may have been the social network’s stock options. Due to Microsoft’s recent investment, however, such departures could stop.
As just about everyone knows by now, Microsoft’s $240 million put Facebook’s value at $15 billion. This drew varying levels of admiration and outrage from onlookers, but most relevant to this article is the fact that the price of Facebook’s stock options should rise as a result, making them considerably less of an enticement to any prospective employees.
Don’t expect the company to release details on the matter – corporations generally don’t discuss stock options. Still, Facebook is trying to downplay any negative effect. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Facebook board member Jim Breyer says that while ‘the valuation on stock options will absolutely rise’ at the company, others — such as Microsoft, Google Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. — were able to hire talent even ‘after they had public valuations in the billions.’”
But if one of the biggest financial incentives to work for Facebook has been taken away, hiring people will become a lot harder. Unemployed jobseekers might once again fixate on the Googleplex, and Googlers who are already within its walls will be especially hard to budge.
Oh, well. In terms of companies to draw from, at least there’s always Yahoo.
