What Would Google Do?
(image credit: techcn.com.cn)
Undoubtedly, hiring for a company as large and well-known as Google is a unique experience. However, it’s always interesting to see how others work, and to see if some of their hiring processes might possibly apply to our own organizations – no matter the size.
Under the guidance of Senior VP of People Operations for Google, Laszlo Bock has influenced not only hiring at his company but a multitude of others with his book “Work Rules!”. In his book, Bock reports that his company generally receives around two million applications per year for several thousand job openings. On average, Bock reports it takes six weeks to hire each new prospect. The process entails rounds of interviews by bosses, peers, as well as a hiring committee. After much trial and error, Bock now feels Google has gotten the hiring process down to a “near science” based on the following guiding principles.1
1. Insist on high standards. Only hire people that you consider better than yourself. Ask yourself if they will bring something new to the mix. Never compromise.
2. Hire and assess objectively. Don’t go by your gut; use data. Have multiple people interview and review potential candidates with a structured list of interview questions that provide an apples to apples comparison. Bock also feels it’s important to periodically revisit and reassess employees to see how they are actually performing once hired.
3. Don’t mix development and rewards. Once reward comes into a conversation about development, the discussion becomes about the incentive. The inherent motivation to learn and grow is gone.
4. Pay “Unfairly”. A small percentage of your employees’ efforts will far exceed the rest of your employees’ work. Make sure to pay those top employees far better than the rest of your employees or they will leave. Use your top performers as an example for others. Let the rest of your employees know what it takes to be rewarded with the highest pay.
5. Create a company that people want to be part of. Bock believes a great culture is the foundation for successful hiring. Millennials, in particular, want engaging jobs that will make a difference. They also want to work with great people.2
In addition to these guiding principles, Google also assesses candidates based on intelligence, leadership, “Googleyness” and, finally, a strong skill-set specific to the job opening. Bock says that “Google likes to hire curious, quick-learning generalists who can master whatever challenges are thrown at them. That’s why general smarts are at the top of his list; specific skills at the bottom.”3
1 http://www.slideshare.net/lxbock/work-rules-48029695
2 http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/191435/millennials-work-life.aspx
3 http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2014/10/21/googles-people-chief-laszlo-bock-explains-how-to-hire-right/#664353721a5c