Despite gruelling hours, 'golden handcuffs' keep Nvidia staffers in place

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Imagine this: Frequent clashes with colleagues, a work environment hotter than a pressure cooker, up to 10 meetings a day, seven-day workweek, and office hours that stretch into the wee hours, sometimes as late as 2 am. Welcome to Nvidia’s office in Santa Clara, California – the stuff of nightmares for any working professional.

One would think that employees would be making a beeline for the exit, fleeing to other organisations to escape such an intense atmosphere. But here’s the twist: Nvidia’s attrition rate is surprisingly low.

Nvidia’s golden handcuffs
 

So, what’s keeping them glued to their desks? An ex-employee hits the nail on the head with a simple yet telling phrase: “golden handcuffs”. According to a Bloomberg report, Nvidia’s employees are paid rather handsomely. And as if that weren’t enough, they’re also showered with company stocks.
 

The stress may be intense, but the lure of a hefty payday keeps employees chained to their workstations, in those “golden handcuffs”.
 

In fact, those who’ve stuck around long enough to amass Nvidia stocks have found themselves in quite the enviable position. Thanks to the company’s meteoric rise, with its stock price soaring by over 3,700 per cent since 2019, long-term employees have become millionaires.

Nvidia’s wealth and work

The company’s generosity with pay packages is evident even in the car park, where the spaces are filled with Porsches, Lamborghinis, and other high-end vehicles. Flush with cash, Nvidia employees are splurging on luxury cars, vacation homes, and tickets to premium events, says the report. Despite the gruelling work environment, the promise of substantial financial rewards keeps them tethered to their roles.

Under the helm of co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s philosophy is crystal clear: “If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn’t be easy”. And with the company’s recent dominance in the semiconductor market, particularly as the demand for AI technology skyrockets, it seems Huang’s approach is paying off.