Silicon Valley's Latest New Hire Perk: The 'Pre-Cation'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Tech executives have come up with yet another creative way to lure in the best talent from Silicon Valley: the pre-cation.
Slate.com reports that San Francisco startup co-founder Jason Freedman had spotted the right employee for his business - real estate search engine 42Floors - but realized that he was burned out and not ready to completely jump into a new project. His solution: offer the candidate a two-week paid vacation prior to his first day on the job. He took it.
"He just came in so refreshed and energized, it was amazing," Freedman told Slate.
Freedman says the offer is now standard practice at 42Floors.
"It's like, 'Yeah, have a great time! And when you get back here, work your ass off,'" he says.
The idea is put forward as a response to overworked rank-and-file employees, but critics wonder what it means for the long term vacation prospects after day one on the job. Similar complaints have been leveled about "unlimited vacation" programs, in which some say a lack of tracked vacation days equates to no vacation policy.
