This is intriguing [emphasis added]...
[Google] recently began crunching data from employee reviews and promotion and pay histories in a mathematical formula Google says can identify which of its 20,000 employees are most likely to quit...
The move is one of a series Google has made to prevent its most promising engineers, designers and sales executives from leaving at a time when its once-powerful draws -- a start-up atmosphere and soaring stock price -- have been diluted by its growing size.
The move is one of a series Google has made to prevent its most promising engineers, designers and sales executives from leaving at a time when its once-powerful draws -- a start-up atmosphere and soaring stock price -- have been diluted by its growing size.
I liked this bit the best:
The data crunching supplements more traditional measures like employee training and leadership meetings to evaluate talent.
Google's algorithm helps the company "get inside people's heads even before they know they might leave," said Laszlo Bock, who runs human resources for the company. [emphasis added]
I'm just imagining the conversation...
Knock, knock
Valued Employee: "Come in."
Nervous Boss: "You may not know it yet, but you're about to leave Google. We don't want that."
Valued Employee, looking around for bugs and hidden cameras: "Nooo... I don't think so..."
Nervous Boss: "Never mind all that. We're giving you a pay raise, more stock options, a corner office, a personal assistant and a reserved parking spot."
Valued Employee: "But, but..."
Nervous Boss: "Let me finish. You're going to get extra vacation time, free membership in the executive gym, free lunch coupons at the company cafeteria..."
Valued Employee: "But I don't..."
Nervous Boss: "Hang on. There's more. We're putting you on this new fun project and giving the old, tedious one to one of the new guys and..."
Valued Employee: "OK, enough. I haven't been straight with you. You're right. I am planning on leaving. Did the algorithm tell you why?"
Nervous Boss: "Uh, no."
Valued Employee: "I'm leaving because you don't listen to me. I'm leaving because all this material wealth isn't going to bring me happiness. I've been accepted to seminary. I'm planning to go preach the gospel in the jungles in Papua New Guinea."
Nervous Boss, consulting print-out from the trusty Google personnel algorithm: "Oh. I see... Do they have search engines there"?
Valued Employee: "Come in."
Nervous Boss: "You may not know it yet, but you're about to leave Google. We don't want that."
Valued Employee, looking around for bugs and hidden cameras: "Nooo... I don't think so..."
Nervous Boss: "Never mind all that. We're giving you a pay raise, more stock options, a corner office, a personal assistant and a reserved parking spot."
Valued Employee: "But, but..."
Nervous Boss: "Let me finish. You're going to get extra vacation time, free membership in the executive gym, free lunch coupons at the company cafeteria..."
Valued Employee: "But I don't..."
Nervous Boss: "Hang on. There's more. We're putting you on this new fun project and giving the old, tedious one to one of the new guys and..."
Valued Employee: "OK, enough. I haven't been straight with you. You're right. I am planning on leaving. Did the algorithm tell you why?"
Nervous Boss: "Uh, no."
Valued Employee: "I'm leaving because you don't listen to me. I'm leaving because all this material wealth isn't going to bring me happiness. I've been accepted to seminary. I'm planning to go preach the gospel in the jungles in Papua New Guinea."
Nervous Boss, consulting print-out from the trusty Google personnel algorithm: "Oh. I see... Do they have search engines there"?
Does this mean employees at Google will hire a SEO company to determine what answers to give during their performance review to get themselves a higher rating?
I would love to see this model working.
Ian
Posted by: Ian Pratt | 13 August 2009 at 07:43 AM