Startups Can Take on Big Guys in IT Talent Wars

There's a real scramble for talent in Silicon Valley, writes Om Malik on GigaOm, with Facebook, Google, Twitter and Zynga "sucking up ... designers, engineers, marketing people and infrastructure folks," luring them with "above-market salaries, insane perks, food and a cachet that's nice to have during dinner conversations."

This will leave startups in a tough spot, he writes. But startups and other companies shouldn't give up on hiring the best and brightest, assuming they all want to go to Google. Some smaller tech companies are able to recruit folks who are also considering jobs at giants like Google by stressing differences that may appeal to potential hires, such as greater access to senior executives and more opportunities to earn notice for individual achievements.

And once they get employees, they may be able to keep them by offering non-cash perks such as added vacation days or flexible schedules. Those kinds of benefits might present a nice contrast with Google. Although the search giant offers some terrific perks, many of them are created with the intent of keeping employees at work for days on end, not necessarily appealing to those striving for a better work/life balance.