You’ve no doubt heard about the “Marshmallow Test,” the experiment in which children are given one marshmallow and told if they wait 15 minutes without eating it, they will get a second one. The test supposedly says a lot about the kid’s wiring and his or her future prospects.

But does it? A different spin on the experiment broadens the picture and provides the perfect metaphor for how people are now sizing up their employers. It’s the topic of my latest Forbes column.