Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve been working for a startup for a little over a year now. It is starting to take off and getting noticed by competitors. I have had two companies reach out to talk to me about jobs. My startup never had me sign a non-compete. The founder is awesome, and she truly believes that if you want to go work someplace else, you should. I absolutely love it here, except the pay is not ideal. I know if I was to stay here long-term the place is going to be really successful, but these companies are offering me double the salary. Advice? — Belinda
J.T.: As someone who is the founder of a startup, I can understand your boss’s position. I also do not have my employees sign non-competes; rather, I just hope that they would never want to go to a competitor, and if they did, and I started to see that they were using ideas that they gained from our company, then I would never give them a professional recommendation. If future employers were to call me, I would be honest and say that I was not happy with how they left the organization. Job seekers need to understand this. It’s not just about your performance at the job it is also about how you choose to leave and what you do afterward. My advice is go out and find other job opportunities that aren’t in conflict with your current employer and see if they’re willing to pay you double your salary — then, you’ll know your worth. I would also suggest talking to your current boss about future income potential. Staying with the startup can pay off big time if you love what you do and you’re happy.
People are also reading…
DALE: Your comments call to mind a phrase you don’t hear anymore: psychic income. The concept is that your rewards are not just monetary, and, unlike salary, many can’t be quantified — it’s the energy, camaraderie and the belief that your work matters. It sounds to me that you have a lot of psychic income where you’re working. Is what you have worth giving up double the money? Maybe not. But, also consider salary longer-term: Where is it going to grow? Project out five years of income, both monetary and psychic, before making the decision.
Dale Dauten Jeanine “J.T.” O’Donnell
