BANGALORE:  “Start-ups are going to be the Engines of Growth for 2015. The entrepreneurial spirit, backed by strong education, ample capital and economic policy support is going to be the engine that drives India into it’s next growth cycle.” says Vivek Madhukar, COO, TimesJobs.com.

In 2015, a large number of young professionals are going to decline lucrative corporate jobs to venture out into making their own dreams a reality. With a vision of the future, seven figure salaries are being turned down, for a stake in a start-up and the chance to make a difference.

In 2014, nearly 55 per cent organizations witnessed candidates changing jobs to work in startups, according to a TimesJobs.com study. However, it’s not easy for a candidate to evaluate a startup offer. Infact, accepting an offer from a startup is one of the most difficult decisions for any candidate, especially when he/she is already employed with an established brand or corporate house. So, how do you decide whether to take the plunge or not?

TimesJobs conducted a series of “High-tea” sessions with Industry leaders, and answered such questions. Here, we bring some valuable expert insights from the sessions -

1. Money matters: Remember that compensation is directly related to what value-add you bring to the start-up. “Startups have increasingly become competitive pay masters compared to established large companies. But expectation from the role would also be high” explains Anand Subramanian, director-communications and lead-internal communications & employee engagement, Ola Cabs.

Specific to the offer, while comparing salary structure and benefits, be sure to factor in ESOPs (employee stock ownership plan) and possibilities of gaining ESOPs with tenures when deciding on a startup job offer.

While it is true that early stage startups might not be able to match the benefits given by big corporates, well-funded and successful startups can do so!

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