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IntroductionManaginghuman resourceseffectivelyhasbecomevital
toorganizationswithin themodernand fastpacedbusinessenvironment,
more so as the economy the world over converge into a synapse of
globally connected andinterdependent sectors aimed at preserving
and creating knowledge1 rather than products and services alone.
Thenoveltyinthemarkettodaydemandsinnovation2andtrust3morethanmerecomparativeanalysisofsalesandmarketshare,andthehierarchyofthecentreandperipherymodelisevolvingintoadifferentparadigm.HumanResourcesspecialistsaremoreimportantinbusinessstrategiestodayforthisverychangeinmarketdynamicsmoresointhepresenteconomicsituationofaglobalrecessionanddownturnacrossindustriesandsectors.ThefocushasturnedonHRDepartmentateveryorganizationthesurvivallinesarerunningdrierwitheverypassingweekatthetradingmarketstheworldover,andtheaimisnotonlytoseethroughtherecession,butmoreimportantly4,toensureemployeesare
still committed to theorganization.HRdevelopmentactsas thementor5
to itsemployeesguiding,trainingandeducatingthem inthewayofthe
industryandtheorganization.Welltrainedandcompetentemployees,who are
able to showcase themselves and their organization to the customers
in amore effectivemanner, help
inincreasingcustomersatisfactionandoverallclientele,byaddingcredibilityandreputationtothebusiness.EffectiveHRplanning
and development practices6 bring quality and loyalworkerswho are
committed and passionate about
thesuccessoftheirorganization.GoogleInc.,the9yearoldtechnologyserviceproviderbasedinMountainView,California,wasvoted7thenumberoneBestCompanytoWorkforinAmericaforthesecondyearinarowbyitsemployees.Itisthebiggest8brandnameintheworldtodayabrandthat
isbuiltuponaculturethat ishighontrust,
lowonpolitics,greatatsharingresourcesandsharingthewealth,andfullofmeaningandsignificance.However,besidestheusualandmuchpublicizedremunerationpackage
and plush offices, deeper and more thoughtful set of factors have
been identified and acknowledged
byconsultingfirmsandemployeesalikeonwhyitissuchanattractiveorganizationtoworkfor.
Industry MediaandInternetServicesHeadquarters
MountainView,California
CEO Dr.EricSchmidtFounded 1998
TickerSymbol GOOGWebsite www.google.com
JobApplicants 761,799Training 120hours/week
VoluntaryTurnover(FT) 4.3%
1JHDunnning;2000;Regions,Globalization,andKnowledgeBasedEconomy;136138;2WCKim,RMauborgne;1999;SloanManagementReview;Strategy,Value,Innovation,andtheKnowledgeEconomy;4;3PSAdler;2003;Market,Hierarchy,andTrust:TheKnowledgeEconomyandtheFutureofCapitalism;4GEbadan,DWinstanley;1997;HumanResourceManagementJournalBlackwellSynergy;Downsizing,DelayeringandCareersThesurvivorsperspective;7984;5ArnoldoC.Hax;1987;OxfordUniversityPress,NewYork;PlanningStrategiesThatWork;6AnnMirel;2008;DevelopmentandStrategiesforHumanResourceDevelopment;48;7Courtesy:GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.8Courtesy:MillwardBrownOptimor;2008;Top100MostPowerfulBrands08;
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OrganizationalGoalandVisionThework culture and employee
empowermentphilosophy atGooglewas apparent from the day the
companywaslaunched
in1998.Thefounders,LarryPageandSergeyBrin,wantedtoestablishGoogleasacompanythatwastobeseenasacompanyrunbythegeeks.TheHRDepartment,initsalignmentwiththebusinessstrategyoftryingtoattractthebestmindsacross
theglobe towork forGoogle,has sincealwaysaimed tobecome the
strategicpartner to thebusinessoperations.
BusinessStrategicModelAsanorganization,Googleand itsemployees
takepride inbeing regardedasgeeks. In fact,oneof thebanners
thatgreetsyouasyouenterGooglesTorontoOfficei reads proud
tobegeeks.How thisveryphilosophydictates
theirbusinessstrategycanbeunderstoodfromthefactthatLarryPageonceremarkedthatGooglewascomprisedofpeoplewithfrighteninglysinglemindedfocus.Googleofficesareseennotaslocationswherepeoplegotowork,butratherasdreamhousesforthesegeekstoretiretowhentheywanttocreatesomethinginnovativeandstateoftheart.Four
yearsago, theaverage search tookabout3 seconds. Today, it isdown
toabout0.2 seconds.And since0.2
isgreaterthanzero,itsnotfastenough.AsmallstatementfromPeterNorvig,anengineeratGoogle,tellsthetaleofthework
culture and employee commitment atGoogle the employees dont need
the next deadline or next projectproposal toworkoncreating
something,but ratheran intrinsic9challengeachallenge
thatcouldbedrivenby selfbenchmarks, or by peer influence, or
simply, the quest for solving something. As a company, Google
completelyunderstandsthatsuchisthenatureofdevotedandcommittedgeeksandprovideseverythingthatispossibletokeepthesegeeksmotivatedtoworkonnovelandcreativepursuits.
Understanding Googles business strategy needs a subtle
understanding of how the soprejudiced geeks work andpresent
themselves. For amedia and technology serviceprovider likeGoogle,
the competitorshave always tried
todownplaytheroleofGooglesHRdepartmentintheoverallsuccessoftheorganization.ThisisclearfromthescathingcriticismfromSteveBallmer,CEOofMicrosoft
Incii.,wherehehasrepeatedlyquestionedandchallengedthebusiness9KeithH.Hammonds;2004;AGooglersAdmission:LifeamidSemantic,Visual,andTechnicalEsoterica;24
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strategyandmodelofGoogle.They'rereallyjustonebusiness,asearchandadvertisingbusiness.However,thisdoesnotexplainhowGooglewasabletoreachthe$10billionrevenuemarkmuchquickerthanMicrosoft.Theexplanation,asLarryPageputs
it inhisofficialblog,comes from the
intrinsicGooglesvisionGooglewants
itsemployeestobeascommittedtotechnologysolutionsandservicesasthefoundersthemselveswerewhentheywerebusyconceptualizingthisveryvisioninthedormitoriesatStanfordUniversityduringtheircollegedays.Fromprovidingeverythingthattheemployeesneedforthemtofocusoncreativityandinnovation,tohelpingtheseemployeeshavetherightinformationandtherightresourcesfortheirwork,Googlehasalwaysfocussedonthehumancapitalcreationandretention
since becoming operational in September 1998. The business strategy
for Google is tightly coupled
andstronglyreflectedintheircompanysvisionstatement,nowknownasTheTenThings10becauseofthewayGooglewasabletoenvisage,andmoreimportantly,deliver,thisvision.Thisphilosophy11atGooglehasservedastheoperatingguidelinesfortheHumanResourceDepartmentthereinaverybroad
and yet amicablemanner. It is clear from this philosophy
thatGoogle,when formed,was aimed at
creatinginnovativeanduniquesolutionswhichwouldupholdthebrandequityandreputationofthecompanynotbywho
itsemployeeswere,andhowdidtheydressandbehave,butratherfromwhethertheproducttheylaunchedinthemarketcoulddeliverwhatitpromisedornot.As
a company,Googlewas founded andhas succeededon the shouldersof its
innovativeproducts and
clutterfreepresentation.Thestrategyhasbeentoprovidetheuseracompletelypreciseandtothepointcustomerexperienceandtoaccept12shorttermlossesoverlongtermgoals.ThefactthatGoogleshomepagealwaysconsistsofexactly37wordsiiiprovesthepoint.The
informal structure ofwork setting, the focus on creativity across
diverse areas of internet technology, and
theperformancedeliverypromisethatGoogleincorporatesinitsvisionistestifiedbythesuccess13ofitsfirstIPOlastyear.However,theinnovativeandnovelmanagementtechniques,theuniquedemographicsofworkforce,andthemarvelofwebservicesthatGooglelauncheseverynowandthenarenotasdistinguishableandcleartoexternalobservers,moreso
fromanontechnologybackground.Therigorousaccountability,
therelentlessattention todetail,and
thecuttingedgeideasarenotthesecretivecomponentsofitssuccess14anymore.However,thewaytheHRfunctionsandpolicieshavealignedthemselveswiththebusinessmodelandvisionmakesGooglethemostexcitingyoungtechnologycompanytoworkforandtodobusinesswith.
HRasaStrategicPartnerforBusinessHRdepartmentatanyorganizationhasauniquechallenge
ithas toensure that
theemployeesaremotivatedandcommittedtotheorganizationwithcompleteintegrityandhonesty.However,atthesametime,theHRdepartmenthasto
ensure that themarketdynamics arenot adversely affectedby the sheer
volumesof investment involved in
theprocess.Insomeways,HRdepartmentshouldactasaserviceproviderivfortheemployees,andtreatemployeesasits
10Foracompletelisting,visittheGooglescorporatewebpageathttp://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html11MohitRanka;2007;GoogleDontBeEvil;12Courtesy:UrsHolzle,GoogleFellow;PeoplecometoGoogletosearchtheWeb,andthemainpurposeofthepageistomakesurethatyou'renotdistractedfromthatsearch.Wedon'tshowpeoplethingsthattheyaren'tinterestedin,becauseinthelongterm,thatwillkillyourbusiness.13KeithH.Hammonds;2008;TheIPOthatchangedEverything;514KeithH.Hammonds;2007;HowGoogleGrows...andGrows...andGrows;
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customer15base treat theemployees the sameway youwould like them
to treat their customers, and
thewholeparadigmofcustomersatisfactionanddeliverybecomeseasytoadoptandadapt.Thebusinessmodelandstrategyofnotmerelytrying,butactuallydeliveringthebestsolutionhasbeenabenchmarkoftheworkcultureatGoogle.Theworkplacesandofficelocationsallovertheworldarebuiltoversprawlingspaceswhichprovide
the employees not onlywith every possible space for creativity and
innovation, but also ensures that
theemployeesideasaredulyanduncompromisinglystudied,workedon,andacknowledged.RecruitmentandSelectionRecruitmentatGoogleisthefirstandforemoststepintheoverallHRprocesses.WiththereputationandpromisethatGoogleholdsforthousandsoftechnologyprofessionalswhowanttomakeGoogletheirsecondhome,morethan1300ResumesarereceivedeachdaybyGoogle.HiringtherightpeopleisakeyHRphilosophyatGooglethemedianageofemployeesatGoogleis27years,makingittheyoungestworkforceacrosstheindustry.However,theretentionrate,andtheturnoverdataatGoogleprovesthattheorganizationhasbeensuccessfully16abletoattract,retain,andmotivatethemostdifficult
cropofemployees theYgeneration
cybergenerationprofessionalswhoareprone to changing
theiraffiliationsquickerthantheychangetheirclothes.Google hosts
many external events throughout the year which reflect a
combination of their excellent recruitingpracticesand
theirawarenessof the internalculture theywant
tomaintain.Theyareexplicitlyseeking toattract
thekindsofpeopletothecompanywhowillbesuccessfulintheiropen,collaborativeculture.TrainingandDevelopmentGoogleemployeesareoffered
tremendousopportunities to
learnandgrow.Professionaldevelopmentopportunitiesoffered to all
employees include classes on individual and team presentation
skills, content development,
businesswriting,executivespeaking,deliveringfeedback,andmanagement/leadership.Freeforeign
language lessons,
includingFrench,Spanish,Japanese,andMandarinarealsosponsoredbyGoogle.GiventheprominenceofengineersatGoogle,particularattentionispaidtoprovidinguniquedevelopmentopportunitiesforthisgroup.AnEngineeringtraininggroup,engEDU,providesorientationandtrainingclasses,mentoring,careerdevelopment,andtutorialservicesallprogramsbuiltbyandforengineers.GooglehasalsoexpandeditsgloballearninganddevelopmentteamduringthelastyearandiscreatingnewleadershipdevelopmentprogramstohelpdevelopandsupportGooglesfutureleaders.Inasurvey,92%ofemployeesindicatedthattheyareprovidedT&Dtofurtherthemprofessionally,and97%17indicatethattheyaregiventheresourcesandequipmenttodotheirjob.ItismandatoryforallemployeestoundergoT&Dsessionsforaminimumof120hours/year,whichisaboutthreetimestheindustryaverageinNorthAmericaof43hours/year.Thisshowstheamountofeffort,timeandmoneythatGoogleinvestsinitsemployeestokeepthemabreastoftheprofessionalandtechnologicaladvancements.
15AnuragGupta;2005;DesignEducation:TraditionandModernity;TreatingEmployeesasCustomers:AHumanResourceEquity;79;16Courtesy:GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.,Reporton100BestEmployersof20082008;reproducedunderCreativeCommons;17Courtesy:GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.,Reporton100BestEmployersof20082008;reproducedunderCreativeCommons;
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InnovationandCreativityThereisastrongcultureofinnovationandexperimentationatGooglewithengineersencouragedvtotake20%oftheirtime
todevelopnewproductor serviceofferings,or toprovideenhancements to
currentofferings. Innovation frominsidethefirm
isthenormformostengineeringbasedsoftwaredevelopmentcompanies.What
isuniqueatGoogle isthe supportprovidedby thecompany,
thecollaborationamongengineersworkingoneachothersprojects,and
thefinalsetofresultsthatGoogleisabletoachievewiththecreativityandexpertiseofitsengineers.SocialGoodGooglehastheinformalcorporatemottoDontbeEvil,whichremindsitsemployeesthatcommitmenttobeethicalispartandparcelofbeingaleaderatGoogle.99%oftheemployeesindicate18that,Managementishonestandethicalinitsbusinesspractices.ThestandardsofconductthatGoogleemployeesadheretoconcern
internalbusinesspractices(respectingeachother,protectingconfidentiality,protectingGooglesassets,etc),externalrelationswithcustomersandpartners,andtheimpactonofGoogle'sworkonthelargersociety19.CompensationStructureGoogle
stands out as being one of themost sought after and yet one of
themost underpaying20 employers in
theindustry.However,theHRstrategyfitsperfectlywiththebusinessmodelandvisionatGooglewhereinemployeesareattractednot
to theshort termmonetary returns fromwork,but rather to
thesupportsystem thatcouldhelp
themcreateanything.SotheworkhivesatGooglehavedaycareandeldercarecentres,havespaandhairsalons,carwashandoilcheckfacilities,andvirtuallyeverythingthatatechnologyobsessedgeekwouldliketoworryleastabout,informofanall
inclusive liberalbenefitspackage,but theactualtakeoutcashcomponent
isnegligible.The
innovativeStockOptionsystematGoogleensuresthatallemployeesgetcompensated21competitivelythankstotheremarkableequitygrowthofthecompany.So
strong is the work culture and employee committed bent upon
technology solutions rather than
tangiblecompensationthatGooglebecamethefirstcompanywheretheBoardofDirectorsrequestedforareduction22intheirsalariesandcompensationbecausetheyfelttheyweregettingpaidmoremoneythantheyneeded.Alltheemployeesagreedonthesentiment,and
in200506,theemployeesformallydemandedawagecutthemselves.Duringthesameperiod,theturnover23was1.43%.
GooglePerksandBenefits UnlimitedSickLeave
27daysofpaidtimeoffafteroneyearofemployment Onsite Medical and
dental facilities, oil change and car wash, courier, fitness
center, banking center, free
breakfast,lunchanddinneronadailybasis
18weeksofadditionalpaidtimeoffpostmaternityleave;newfatherscantake7weeksoff
18Courtesy:TrustIndexSurvey,2008;GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.;19ThislaststandardwasamotivatingfactorbehindtheGoogleSolarPanelProjectthelargestsolarpanelinstallationonacorporatecampusintheUnitedStates.OnGoogleswebsitethenumberofkilowatthoursofpowergeneratedintheprevious24hoursisposted,alongwithanindicationofitsequivalentintheuseofcommonhouseholdappliances.20Courtesy:GoogleEmployeeSalariesDataSurvey;mydanwei.com21JohnShinal;2004;SanFranciscoChronicle;GoogleIPOachieveditsmajorgoal:It'sallaboutraisingcashforthecompanyandrewardingemployees,earlyinvestors.22PaulR.LaMonica;2006;CNN;Googleleadersstickwith$1Salary;23Courtesy:TrustIndexSurvey,2006;GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.;
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AnnualonsiteHealthFairofferingfreetestingservices,includingeyeexamsandcholesteroltesting;alsooffersfreeflushots
FuelEfficiencyVehicleIncentiveProgramprovidesa$5,000rebatetoemployeespurchasinghybridcarsBestPracticeExamplesCreatingagreatworkplacerequiresmorethanaspecificsetofprogramsandpracticesthereisnoonesetofperksandbenefits
thatwork for all.BestCompaniesdevelop theirownunique cultures in
theirownways,with the
commonfeaturebeingthatemployeesareabletosay"ItrustthepeopleIworkfor,haveprideinwhatIdo,andenjoythepeopleIworkwith."
Google institutes quarterly companywide strategy sessionswith
senior executives and separate sessions
toassessthecompanysperformanceduringthepreviousquarter.Thesegatheringsareintendedbothtocelebratetheorganizationsachievementsoverthecourseofthequarterandtointroduceobjectivesforthenewquarter.Opportunities
areprovided at these sessions for employees to askquestionsof
senior leadership about
thecompanysstrategicdirectionandperformance.Functionalteamssupplementvithisallhandssessionwiththeirowndepartmentspecificmeetingsledbyseniormembers.
Googlerealizesthatnoteveryonefeelscomfortablespeakingup
inapublicforum.Thatswhytheyconductaseriesofregularsurveystosolicitinputdirectlyfromemployeesonarangeoftopics.TheannualJobSatisfactionSurvey,theEngineeringTeamsurvey,theSalesTeamSurveyandnumerousothersgatherdatafromemployeesanonymously.Theythendrawonthosefindingstoimproveandshapetheirvariousprograms.Theypublishthehigh
level results for allemployees to readon their internalwebsite,
andmanagers areexpected todiscussresultswiththeirteams.
Googlehasaninhousebloggingtoolthatallowsemployeestostarttheirownblogs.Employeescanusetheseblogs
to communicatepersonal stories, toprovideworkupdates,or to
sharenotes.Theseblogscanonlybeaccessed internally, and these online
forums are yet another way that Google encourages
crossfunctionalinteractionacrossalllevelsoftheorganization.
TGIFsareaninformalcompanywideweeklygettogetherwhichincludeapreviewoftheweektocome,arecapoftheweeksbigevents,andaquestionandanswersession.Whileeveryweekisalittledifferent,thehighlightof
TGIF is always theQuestion andAnswer section; no question is
offlimits. Their teamwebcasts TGIFs
toGoogleofficesaroundtheglobeandarchivesthemforthosewhosetimezonesorschedulespreventthemfromattendingthemeetinginperson.SomeofGooglefieldofficeshavetakentohostingtheirownTGIFs,withseniorleaders
joiningwhenpossibleeither
inpersonorviavideoconference.TheyencourageallGoogleemployees,regardlessoflocation,tosubmitquestionsforTGIFthroughemailiftheycant(oroptnotto)askthequestioninperson.Otheremployeesvoteviionthesequestionssothatthemostrelevantworktheirwaytothetopofthequeue.
Inaddition tomore formalvenues,Googlesphilosophy is reflected in
theirwhiteboardculture.Employeesstartoradd
towhiteboarddiscussionson topicsranging from futureGoogleproducts
to
lifeatGoogle.YoullfindtheseoversizewhiteboardsviiialloverGoogle.
Employees drive Googles product development process. They first
release new products and featuresinternallyix across the company,
allowing employees to explore the product and provide feedback to
theengineersandmanagerswhodevelopedit.
Google recognizes that the first fewmonthsofachilds
lifeareprecious.TheyprovidemotherswhovebeenwithGoogle forover1
yearwith18weeksofpaidbonding leave to spendwith theirnewborn.
Fathers areencouraged tospend7weeksofpaidbonding leavewith
theirnewbornduringhis/her firstyear.Tosupport
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employeeswhiletheybondwiththeirnewborns,Googleprovidesallemployeeswith100%oftheirnormaltakehomepayduringmaternity/paternityleave.
Googlewantsemployeestomaintainthebestpossiblework/lifebalance,sotheyofferflexibleworkhours,parttimeworkoptions,andtelecommuting
ifthespecific joballows.Agenerousvacationpolicy
isprovidedandavacationdonationprogram isalsoused
toprovideanopportunity foremployees tohelpout their
fellowcoworkersduringatimeofneed.Theprogramallowsemployeestovoluntarilydonateaportionoftheiraccruedvacationhourstoanothereligibleemployeeincaseofanemergency.
While theymaintainmorespecialized learningprograms
invirtuallyeverydepartment, theEngineeringgrouphastakenthe
ideaofcontinuous
learningtonewheightsx.TheEngineeringtraininggroup,orengEDU,aimstoprovideGoogleEngineerswithcompellingeducationalopportunitiesthroughouttheirlivesatGoogle,includingeverythingfromorientationclassestomentoringtocareerdevelopment.
In2007,GooglekickedofftheirCandidates@Googlespeakerseries,
inviting2008Presidentialcandidatestostop by headquarters to
speakwith their employees. In addition to these political
luminaries,Google hostsregularTechTalkswherespeakersboth
internalandexternalpresent their insightson timely
topics.Google'sengineering tech talk program is a vital part of
their engineering knowledge transfer efforts, and typifiesGoogles
culture, which encourages engineers to air their ideas in an arena
composed of highly
technicalcolleagues,whochallengeeachothertopushtheboundariesoftheirthinking.
InQ22007,GoogleannouncedanewequityprogramforemployeescalledTransferableStockOptions(TSOs)a
firstofitskindprogramdesigned tohelpemployeesderivevalue24 from
theiroptionsby selling insteadofexercisingthem.Thegoal
isquitesimple,saysDavidRolefson,GooglesDirectorofCompensationPrograms.Itistoincreasetheperceivedvalueoftheoptiontotheemployee.
GooglemaintainsastrongCodeofConductthatitexpectsallemployeestoadhereto.Toensurethatemployeesfeelsafeinreportinganypotentialviolationofthepolicy,and/oraskingquestionsaboutanactionthatmightbeconstruedtobeaviolation,Googleenforcesastrict"noretaliation"policy.Retaliationforreportingapossibleviolationof
theCodeofConduct,otherwisemakingacomplaint
regardingapossibleviolationof theCodeorparticipating in any
investigation of a possible violation of the Code is strictly
prohibited. If a complaint ofretaliation
issubstantiated,appropriatedisciplinaryactionwillbetaken,up toand
including
termination.TheCodeofConduct,andtheNoRetaliationPolicybothservetoupholdstrongethicalbehaviouratGoogle.
Googleplacesahighvalueontheopinionsofemployees.Anyemployeecanapproachanymanagertodiscussany
issue.Theofficialpolicy25 states:Googledesires tomaintaina
friendly,
cooperativeatmospherebetweenemployeesandalllevelsofmanagement.Consequently,theCompanyprovidesopportunitiesforyoutoexpressyourselfwithout
recrimination. If you have a problemwith yourManager that, despite
yourmutual
efforts,cannotberesolved,youmaydiscussthiswiththenexthigher
levelofmanagementorwithHumanResources.YoumayrequestthattheHumanResourcespersonoracoworkeraccompanyyouinanadvisorycapacityinanymeeting.WhileGoogle
prides itself on being an open organizationwhere you can approach
anymember ofmanagementdirectly,we recommendyou firstattempt to
resolve the issue
throughyourManagerorHumanResources.Ifnotsatisfied,youmaythencontinuetheprocesswiththesuccessivelevelsuptotheCEO.Concerns,conflictsandcomplaintswillbecarefullyconsideredandfacilitatedpromptly.
24JohnShinal;2004;SanFranciscoChronicles;GoogleIPOachieveditsmajorgoal:Itsallaboutraisingcashforthecompanyandrewardingemployeesearly;2225Courtesy:GoogleCorpWebsite;2008GoogleInc.;
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Googleencouragesemployees
tovolunteerbyalertingnewGoogleemployees
tovolunteeropportunitiesontheirfirstdayatorientation.Oneprogramthatsfrequentlyhighlighted
isGoogleGrantsxi,whichdonatesfreeadvertisingservicestoselectnonprofitorganizations.
Googlehas
initiatedanumberofprograms26todotheirparttoreducegreenhousegasemissions,to
improveenergyefficiency,andtosupportcleanenergysources.In2007,theyswitchedonthesolarpanelinstallationxiiatitsheadquarters.Moreover,
thecompanysbenefitspackage includesasignificant incentive
foremployees topurchasepluginhybridcars.
Eventssuchasseminars,gettogethers,andconferencesatGooglearethemedwithcolourandcreativityandincludethe
inspirationand
imaginationofeveryengagedemployee.Thisallowsalltheemployeestoattachasenseofbelongingtotheworkplaceaswellastotheevent.
Overtheyears,Googlehasnurturedaworkculturewhereemployeesaretobequirky27andalittleirreverent.Worldwidethemedxiiispecialdayshelpfostertheirsenseofcommunityandfun.
ToroundouttheirfirstweekasGoogleemployees,newemployeesarerecognizedatTGIF,GooglesallhandsmeetingheldeveryFridayafternoon.Sitting
inareservedsectionatthefrontoftheroom,theywearNooglerhats(brightlycolouredpropellerbeaniesbearingthewordNoogler)andplaquesaroundtheirneckdisplayingfunpersonal
triviaof their choosing.At thebeginningof theTGIFprogram,Google
founders
LarryPageandSergeyBrinleadaroundofapplausetowelcomethenewfolksastheirnamesareprojectedonalargescreen.ForNooglers,thisTGIFrepresentsoneoftheirfirstchancestoexperiencetheteamspiritofGoogle.
HRStrategyinfluencingBusinessStrategy:AnalternateviewThefactthatGoogleprovidesa20%offtimetoemployeesfortheircreativepursuitsisanHRpracticethathasreapedthemrichrewards.However,thebusinessimplicationsofsuchrewardsareverylimitedxivascomparedtotheirflagshipsearchengineandonlineadvertisingservices.Notwithstanding,theHRdepartmentandtheexecutivesstillcontinuetoencourageemployees
for investingeffortand time into suchprojects thebasic idea is that
theemployees
remainmotivatedandcommittedtoinnovationandnovelty.Theemployeesgetadayeveryweekwheretheycanworkontheirown,
and on the rest of theworkweek, get back to their official job
description ofwriting complex algorithm andsemanticprograms for
their searchengineandAdwords services.The recruitment,on
itspart,becomesmuchmorediversewithmoreandmoretalentedminds
lookingtoworkforacompanywhichwouldencourageandpaythemfortryingtobuildupatoolwhichmayormaynotcomeoutright.Thisisaverypeculiarcaseofabusinessstrategybeinganoutputofadeliberate28HRstrategy.
TheChallengeofRecessionRecessionposestheuniquechallengetotheHRdepartment.Googleasanorganizationisbetterequippedtohandletherecession
thanmostof itscompetitors simplybecause theemployee
satisfactionandcommitmentatGoogle is seenmuchbeyond the
compensation structureandpromotion racevoluntary turnoveratGoogle
ismuch less than
theindustryaverage,andlayoffsthathaveoccurredduringthecurrentandlastquarterhaveonlyaffectedthecontractualpart
timeworkers.Moreover,Google is expectedxv to release a
hostofproductsover thenext 2quarters, and hasalready invested
millions of dollars into acquiring the necessary hardware and
satellite systems indicating
theconfidenceGooglehasintherelativeimmunityofitsbusinessmodeltorecession.26BradStone;2007;NewYorkTimes;GooglesNextFrontier:RenewableEnergy;27BenElgin;2004;BusinessWeek;Google:WhizKidsorNaughtyBoys?28BrunoGiussani;2006;Googlenonsearch:morebuzzthanhits,butitkeepsemployeeshappy;
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AdditionalReadingTomPeters;1994;TheTomPetersSeminar:CrazyTimesCallForCrazyOrganizations;Vintage9780679754930;5479;iGooglerecentlymovedtoacustombuiltofficespaceoverlookingDundasSquarefromthesixthflooroftheTorontoLifeSquareComplex,whichisalsothecompanysCanadianheadquarters.Someofthepicturescanbemadeavailableonrequest.iiMicrosoftInc.haslongbeenseenasthebiggestcompetitorofGoogleinthefieldofmediatechnologyservicessuchasinternetsearchengine,emailservices,richmediabrowsers,bloggingandwebmastertools,VoIPtoolsandmessengers,andrevenuegenerationmodels.EventhoughMicrosofthasalwaysdeniedadirectthreatfromGooglesinceMicrosofthasinterestsinalotofsectorsandmarketslikeOperatingSystems,desktopsoftware,offlinetechnologysolutions,etc.,theshareofMicrosoftinthecompetitivelinewithGooglehasbeenrapidlydecreasingovertime.(Source:StephenWellman;2007;TheInformationWeek;Jan25,2007;IsMicrosoftsImpactontheEconomybiggerthanGoogles?;)iii37wordsrequireexactly2bytesofdatatobetransferredacrossanetwork.Anylessnumberofwordswouldwastethedatapacketswhichareusuallytransferredinchunksof2bytesovertheinternetviaTCP/IP.Anygreaternumberofwordswouldrequireanotherdatapackettobetransferred,whichwouldincreasethedatatransmissioncostsattheusersend.Hence,Googlehasalwayskeptitshomepagetobekeptstrictlyto2bytesofdata,eventhoughitcanusethehomepagetodisplayalotofrevenuegeneratingadvertisementslikeitstraditionalcompetitorslikeMicrosoftandYahoo!do.ivTheauthorwroteapaperonHumanResourcesfunctions,andhowHRprofessionalsshouldconsiderandvaluetheemployeesjustastheywouldexpecttheemployeestotreattheorganizationscustomers.ThepaperwaspresentedandpublishedintheannualchapterofInternationalDesignConferenceatNationalInstituteofDesign,Ahmedabad,IndiainMarch2005.ThecompletetextofthepaperisincludedintheAnnualDesignPublicationof2007andispartofthecoursecontentatvariousDesigninstitutesacrosstheworld,mostnotablyPolitecnicodiMilano,Italy,andNationalInstituteofDesign,India.ReferencestothepapermayalsobefoundinpublicationsofAnthroTechSociety.vSomeoftheresultsofthis20%timecanbeseeninthebetaofferingsprovidedtothepublicattheGoogleLabswebsite(labs.google.com)whichshowcasesexperimentsstillbeingevaluatedandthegraduatesproductsandservicesdevelopedinsideGooglethatarenowpartoftheircurrentofferings.SomeofGooglesnewerserviceslikeOrkut,Gmail,AdsenseandGoogleNewshaveoriginatedinsuchindependentendeavours.MarissaMayer,VicePresidentatGoogle,mentionedinaspeechatStanfordUniversitythatmorethanhalfofGooglesnewproductlaunchesoriginatedfromthe20%time.Thecompletevideoisavailableathttp://stanfordonline.stanford.edu/courses/msande472/060517msande472300.asxviForexample,theEngineeringTeamholdsaquarterlyAllHandsMeetingledbytheSeniorVicePresidentofEngineering.TheEngineeringAllHandsspeakstoGooglescorephilosophythatemployeesprefertohearcompanynewsinperson,anddirectlyfromtheirleaders,ratherthanfromananonymouscascadedemailchain.viiTheprocessofvotingisakintotheBusinessphilosophyofdemocraticsystem,whichisalsomentionedinTheTenThings.viiiInadditiontothewhiteboards,employeescanfindsuggestionboxesthroughouttheoffice,wheretheyrefreetoenteranysortofsuggestionfromanewdrinktheywouldlikeavailabletotheirdismayoverthecontinueduseofdisposabledishes.ixInaddition,theyhaveaprogramcalledtheGoogleometerwhichallowspeopletopostideasforchangesandimprovementsatthecompany.Employeescanthenvoteonwhethertheideaisgoodorbadwhichwillmovethesuggestionupthepage.xAgreatexampleistheCodelabtutorialseries,whicharecontinuallyupdatedonlinemodulesdesignedtohelpengineersgetuptospeedonnewGoogletechnologies.Theyhavebroadenedanddeepenedtheirfocusonlearningthroughoutthelastyear.Theyexpandedtheirlearninganddevelopmentmanagementteamworldwide.Moreover,theyhiredanewdirectorwhollbeworkingtocreateGoogleUniversity,acentralizedlearningorganizationdesignedtocoordinatethenumerousofferings,ensurequality,and,overthenextcoupleofyears,expandtherangeofeducationalprogramsoffered.xiGoogleGrantsisaunique,inkindadvertisingprogram,which,byharnessingthepowerofGooglesflagshipadvertisingproduct,GoogleAdwords,enablesnonprofitstobetterengagetheirconstituentsonline.GoogleGrantshasawardedAdWordsadvertisingtohundredsofnonprofitgroupswhosemissionsrangefromanimalwelfaretoliteracy,fromsupportinghomelesschildrentopromotingHIVeducation.xiiAt1.6megawatts(anoutputcapableofpoweringapproximately1,000Californiahomes)Googlesisthelargestsolarinstallationonanycorporatesiteintheworld.xiiiThisisinaccordancewithGooglesbusinessstrategyofconnectingwithvariouscommunitiesacrosstheborder.Everynowandthen,Googleshomepageontheinternethasaspeciallogoandthemebasedonsomesignificantevent,date,season,orfestival.GooglesproductofiGoogleandGmail!Themesarealsobasedonthesameprinciple.xivRecentproductslikeOrkut,GMail,GoogleNews,etc.donotcontributemorethan1%combinedtoGooglesrevenues.99%ofrevenuesarestillgeneratedthroughonlineadvertisements.xvGooglereleaseditslatestversionofGoogleEarthwhileincludesunderwaterimageryinearly2009.
