About 3 months ago, I posted on employee voice and the search for mission:

I think there’s a lot of disgruntled talent out there, looking for a cause to join more than a fatter paycheck. Too many folks are seeking pay increases to acquire sources of enjoyment and stimulation to fill the gap left by uninspiring workplaces. And word has it that the younger generation earning new college degrees over the next decade or so are much more mission-oriented than money-hungry.

Seems to me that if you’re a leader, and you want to attract the best talent, your message (and thinking) should probably be aligned more with “change the world” than with “make a million [or billion].”

Today, VC Fred Wilson explained why there is no such thing as indentured servitude…

You can give someone a big fat paycheck and a big slug of equity but if they don’t believe in you, your company, your vision, your team, and your culture, its a total waste of money. Because they will be unproductive and have one foot out of the door all the time. And when someone else offers them that big fat paycheck, they’ll be gone, leaving a hole in your organization.

…and offered some basics on attracting and retaining talent:

[Y]ou must sell your people on what you are doing. Take them up the mountain. Get them excited about the climb. Get them to buy into the vision. And keep selling the vision, the culture, and the company. Sure you have to pay your people their market value. People won’t work for free either. But paying market value is surely not enough to keep your best people.

One statement Fred made might soon earn a spot on my manifesto:
“Golden handcuffs can’t change a person’s DNA.”