Google staffing process

Google Inc.. the worid's largest and most popular search engine company, is also one of the mos

sought after companies in the world. Due to the popularity of the company caused bry its highly

attractive compensation and benefts packages for its employees, millions of job applications are

onstantly received by Google on an annual basis. While other companies envy Google fo

ltracting and a cquiring such highly-talented and highly-skilled individuals from all over the worl

the company finds it as a serious cause of dilemma

Nhen Google Inc. topped the ranks for the most popular companies in the world, it could no longer

contain the number of applications it receives from thousands of job hunters from all over the globe

And since the company aims to hire only the best employees that fit the organizational culture anc

tandards of Google, the company started thinking of ways to better improve its recruitment anc

selection process for its would-be employees

n an article released in New York Times in 2007, Google Inc shared its non-traditional, highly

reative and u nconventional approach of selecting and hiring employees. Initialy. the Google

nanagement sought the aid of its highly-competent and well-skilled technical staff in order to find

vays to quickly go through and review the millions of applications it stored in its recruitmeng

database.

1/4

The Google Inc management also decided to focus on the distinct behavioral characteristics anc

ersonality that separates Google employees from any other employees in other knowr

ompanies. It shifted its focus from academic qualifications and technical experiences to the

applicant's personality, creativity, leadership capacilties, innovative and non-conventional ways of

hinking and the applicant's overall exposure to the world. The academic qualifications and the

ntensive job experience just came in as second priorities of the company in choosing the bes

candidates for any open positions

jince then, the Google Inc company not only became known for its outstanding and "luxurious

ob compensation and benefits packages it offers its employees, but also in making use of some

bf the most powerful recruitment assessment tools capable of picking the best employees in the

world that fl the standards set by Google

Dne of the most notable statements of Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google inc. is that Google invests

n people." The main reason why people from different cultures, have been dreaming of being

ecruited and hired by Google is that the company offers possibly the most outstanding job

compensation packages any r normal employee could ever enjoy.

n order to attract the best employees, Google draws them by the promise of wealth and luxury

providing their e employees with almost e everything an employee could p possibly r need. from absurdily

high compensations to extravagant and luxurious benefits like gourmet food, carwash, gym.

nacks, exercise classes, dry cleaning services, car services, haircuts, oil changes, massages

checkups and many more, all for free

Nevertheless, the recruitment process was also far beyond ordinary. Several people who have hac

experience in the Google recruitment process narrates that the experience was totally nerve

vracking. One applicant who underwent interviews for Google has had five to seven interviews ir

ne day for two to three straight days. That applicant claims that the interviews were realy tough

vith some of the brightest people in the world, conducting the interviews filled with brain teasers

algorithmic problems, and IQ tests.

Another applicant who also have had experiences in the recruitment process of Google claims that

nis Google experience was one of the most nerve-wracking adventures of his life. The interviewers

vere looking for extremely bright individuals and so the recruitment method was flled with IQ tests

prain teasers, algorithms, data structures, and a lot of mathematics involved in it.

soogle is no doubt the world's best recruitment leader, Google is known for various uniqus

approaches that it has utilized in order to attract the cream of the crop or the best of the bests. One

vay is through employment branding. Googie has so successfully utilized their brand in order tc

stract the most talented and highly-competent individuals in the world. Because of their claim of

providing the best employee-employer experience supported by the many perks, benefits and high

alarics that Google employees get to enjoy. Google became the most desired companies for men

and women in the world

While the work and job responsibilities in Google are not that easy, the stock options benefit is onenot that easy, the stock options benefit is one

f the key drivers of retention and continuous acquisition of the best employees for this company

n 2007, employee turn-over at Google was reportedly less than 5% which was simply

henomenal. People didn't want to leave the company because the amazing provisions and

enefits that the company offers its employees. Moreover, the creative approaches of Google

vhen it comes to hiring and retaining employees were simply exceptional. Employees claim that

noney was never an issue for Google in terms of utlizing it to take care of its employees

Dne notable recruitment technique that Google utilized in 2006 was the targeted and unobtrusive

pproach to sending recruitment messages. Google crafted a simple technique to recruit the best

tudents in certain schools and universities to work for them. They allowed people from these

chools to access the search portal of Google wherein the students' P address would be identifiec

to see from what organization the person belongs into. The technique was successfully executed

"sing a minimalist and unobtrusive style of recruitment wherein below the search box, the Google

2/4

ystem would know whether the targeted student is graduating or not and whether or not they

ntend to work for Google after graduation. The approach was definitely a successful micro

argeted approach. It was also in the same year when Google opened up to the idea of ar

imployee Referral Program. In putting up this program, Google made sure that it would deliver

hem a world-class employee whose personality, qualifications and work ethics reflect the Google

standards.

year passed by and Google's attempts for recruitment innovations continued to improve. In 2007

Boogle developed a simple and effective assessment tool to screen its millions of applicants all

ver the world via an algorithm assessment tool. The algorithm technique effectively separated the

op and the best performers from thousands of candidates vying for a position. Moreover, the

ssessment tool was made sure to successfully predict the best possible candidates from the leas

ind the average and has managed to resolve the issue on the usual assessment tools being used

'y most companies, relyjing mainly on the academnic qualifications and intensive industry and jot

experlence.

ruly, what separates the Google recruitment process from the typical and the usual recruitment

nethodologies that other companies employ is its ability to accurately identify the best candidates

or the position using a more data-based and scientific approach to the recruitment process. Alsc

has significantly reduced the relia bility of interviews, which for most companies, serves as the

inal indicator of how well an employee willperform at work. Furthermore, the aigorithm approact

vhich is a common business model that the company employs was effectively used to assess

vhether potential candidates can indeed perform given the high performance standards of Google

The secret to be selected as a Google employee is that one has to think a lot like an engineer

\pparently, Google expects their employees to be highly quantitative and highly analytical as we

s highly capable of dealing with too many data all at the same time. During the interviews, ar

pplicant must also be able to demonstrate his skill or capacity by writing codes, intelligently

nalysing case studies and brain teasers and solving algorithmic problems on the spot. Also

joogle is searching for applicants who are highly practical and are capable of making something

out of nothing that people can make use of.

Since Google is known to be the ultimate recruitment and selection machine, its interview

processes are also the most gruelling experiences an applicant could ever have. Usually. the

nlerviews begin using the telephone. Once the phone interviews conducted have been successful

he applicant would be scheduled by the recruitment officer and be invited for a series of five to ter

nterviews in one day with ten different people. For some people who have successfully undergong

his process, they described it as the most excruciating employment experience of their lives as a

ot of mental gymnastics were necessary to prove your skills

There were many instances when the applicants were asked to write codes, brain storm, role play

or solve mathematical equations on the spot just to prove that they are highly-skilled and

ompetent. In olher instances, the applicants are even tested of their marketing skills even though

he position an applicant is applying for is highly technical. The interviewers seem to have control and power over the applicants letting them do everything just to prove that they are worthy for the position. Common questions involved computer network problems, Java programming anc

algorithms by which Google is known for.

is

Moreover, other applicants can rate and share comments on another applicant which Google car

track and use as another basis for hiring or not hiring an applicant. Overall, the process was

engthy. ledious and nerve-wracking experience which can possibly traumatize anyone whose

Jream is to work for one of the most prestigious companies in the world, Nevertheless, the perks

and benefits are limitless and are more than enough to compensate for such a tough employmen

experience.

Based on the above article, you are required to. Answer 2 question below.

1. Identify the issues that surrounded the Human Resource Department of Google.

2. Explain the techniques used by Google in its:

a. Recruitment process

b. Selection process

C. Interview process