To retain talent in the face of a tight fundraising market, startups are shifting away from cash bonuses and towards stock options and other long-term incentives.
Even after several rounds of cost-cutting layoffs, the balance sheets of many edtech, software, and fintech startups remain strained. While some startups are transitioning to Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), others are raising targets and requesting incentives from their leaders. “A consumer media internet firm we work with that has seen some layoffs has also made sales promotion more difficult and less achievable. We collaborate with two SaaS unicorns on the job. “One of them did not give a bonus to the leadership team, but kept some bonuses for other employees,” said Harold D’Souza, co-founder and director of search firm Walkwater Talent Advisors