> Poole lasted just five years at Google, which CNBC notes is usually just long enough for any employee's shares attached to hiring to vest
They make it sound like he barely managed to get any stock. That's like saying, "person worked at X for 1 year, just long enough to get 1 year's salary." Well, yeah, but if they left in 11 months they'd get 11 months salary. It's not like if Poole left at 1 year or 4 years or anything in between he would have left with anything different proportionally to his tenure.
Also it doesn't really match with reality, since they'd usually get refresh grants and have a rolling four year window at all times.
The article sounds like the reporter heard a soundbyte about google's typical four year vesting period, and then did zero actual research into what that means.
I don't know--I've heard a lot of people here noting the "4 year cliff" at most tech companies, not just Google. Not all companies give refreshes, and of those that do, it's usually not enough to make up for the initial grant going away.
I left my last job pretty much on the day of my 4 year anniversary because I'd otherwise be taking a 25% comp hit in year 5. It's definitely a thing.
When you initially start at Google, say, you get an RSU grant that vests over 4 years. So for 4 years you are getting your salary and on some schedule also getting stock. The stock can be a quite large portion of your total compensation (as in, comparable to the base salary).
After 4 years, unless you got refresher grants, your compensation is just your salary, so you effectively make less money than during the first 4 years. At that point the incentive is to move to some other company and start the 4-year clock again...
On the other hand, that kind of job is stable, pays well enough, and doesn't demand much outside of 9-5. For people with families, that's a lot more appealing than you'd think.
True, but this is a company where when I logged on the other day there was an article about a guy retiring after 52 years as a delivery driver. Yes, that's right, fifty two years at one company, although I imagine he did small package delivery and feeder work (trailer loads). So not just one position, but pretty close.
Actually we should already have changed it - that's standard practice when one article cribs from another. But I missed it in this case.