Google is a company which is well known for its unique
culture and Human Resource policies and is acknowledged as an innovator and
best employer (Nightingale (2008:1). Fortune magazine (2013), has named Google
as one of the best 100 companies to work for. Google’s ability to leverage
itself from competitors by offering attractive packages, which serves as a pull
factor for Google. “Some of its benefits include: flexible working hours, allowing
employees to wear casual dress every day, permitting employees to bring their
dogs to work every day, on-site physician visits, on site dental care, health
benefits, free massage and yoga, employee stock options, free drinks and snacks
inside the campus, free meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner (Thomas
& Karodia, 2014).
During their first year of employment, Google provides
its employees with a three weeks’ vacation which includes free recreation
including video gaming, football, volleyball and pool tables, valet parking for
its employee’s and onsite carwashes. Apart from their
innovative benefits, Google has implemented more activities concerning the
employee ‘s health, family and environment which is totally different from
other related companies (Nightingale (2008:6).
Google employees are allowed to use 20% of their work
time to think innovatively, and it serves as an attractive tool to remain
employees in the organization (Thomas & Karodia, 2014). “It is obvious that
the human resources activities and policies are actually driving Google’s
corporate business success. Because of its unique innovation work culture, in
2010, the employee turnover in Google was only 5 %” (Wauters, 2010:15). Google
has also introduced an employee referrals bonus programme which favored employees
and their referrals. The company encourages the employees to recommend
candidates and awards the employee $2000 bonus if the referral accepts and remains
employed for at least 60 days. This encourages and motivates employees and
helps expansion (Thomas & Karodia, 2014).
Liane Hormsey (in Sullivan, 2007), human resources
director at Google stated that “whilst Google had busied itself in employee
work, in respect to life balance, it is becoming extremely difficult to
maintain Google’s entrepreneurial spirit and employee strength amidst Google’s growth
curve”.
Video
01: Best Practice HR Tips from Liane Hornsey, Google VP Operations
Source:
(Meet the boss, 2012)
According to Thomas & Karodia (2014), within an organization which practices the best practice approach and framework, should contain the following attributes in order to be successful in the organization’s internal growth strategy.
- Companies must constantly hire, transfer and promote individuals;
- Expansion into new markets requires changes in skills or prospective employees;
- Combination of behavior based and
results-based appraisals;
- Compensation structured as an incentive
for achieving growth goals;
- Training needs on how the company decides to grow internally.
In conclusion, Google’s human resource policies and
practices are contradictive to efficiency and productivity which could affect
business effectiveness growth and expansion, however whilst this is so and,
however, much zany it may be, it has worked in Google’s favor.
List of references,
· Meet the boss, 2012, Best Practice HR Tips
from Liane Hornsey, Google VP Operations, Viewed 01 December 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRsJbpppvEU&t=454s>.
· Nightingale, F. (2008) Google’s HR
Practices: A Strategic Edge.
· Sullivan, J. (2007) A look inside the
Google talent machine.
· Thomas, S. and Karodia, AM., 2014, Human
Resources Practices at Google in Terms of Some Management Perspectives:
Exploring the Entrepreneurial Spirit. Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of
Business and Management Review.
· Wauters.R. 2010, Google China Employees
given holiday leave networks to be scrutinized, Google’s HR Practices: A
Strategic Edge.
Hi Malithra agree with you, Google benefits from allowing employees the freedom to be themselves. Engineers are encouraged to dedicate 20 percent of their work time to new and interesting projects that are not part of their
ReplyDeleteformal work assignments (Strewart and Brown, 2011).
Google has created an environment focused on inclusion. It makes sure that its employees’ suggestions are valued. New products are first released internally and employee suggestions are invited as a part of product development process. The staff provides its feedback on the usability and other features of a product before final release. The 20% project at Google allows the employees to devote 20% of their time to projects outside their general responsibility area (Pratap, 2019).
Delete"Look at the extraordinary success that both Google and Apple produced after they made the shift to become “innovation companies” and talent magnets. Both have moved from literally nowhere in the competitive landscape to market cap and product domination within the last decade. You could assume that their success was based on their buildings and equipment and try to duplicate them. However, it wouldn’t take long for you to figure out that rather than buildings or equipment, it is their ability to attract and manage innovators. The game has changed, and it is no longer the largest or oldest firms that win. Instead, it is the firms with the most innovators that win."(Sullivan,2016)
ReplyDeleteThe HR strategies of Apple always seem to hire a diverse, independent, talented employee who doesn’t need direction. Apple follows non egalitarian methods which suggest Apple fills 95% of the roles that are critical to business success through A quality. By knowing the importance of full-time work execution, Apple has developed a broad and focused advantages bundle for its corporate representatives with self-awareness programs (Vozz, 2017).
DeleteWhat a great story of how a company became successful through small steps. I believe that along the way they had to avoid the "silo mentality" where different departments do not share and process information together which leads to poor coordination which is one of the major barriers to implement the best practice approach (Wimmer, 2002)
ReplyDeleteGoogle’s success is because of its culture and work environment and its HR has played a major role in sustaining these things. Google’s organizational structure supports a system made to pursue innovation. Google’s HR nurtures its creative and innovative company culture by formulating policies that hire and retain the best talent. If Google has stood at the top as the best employer for years continuously, the reason is that its focus on HR management is exceptional (Pratap, 2019).
DeleteAgreeing with you Malithra, Operating HR is obviously a field of science at Google. They are constantly experimenting and innovating to find the best way to satisfy employees and to help them work effectively. They do everything based on collecting and processing of collected data, using data to evaluate staff and to help them improve their work efficiency (Davenport et al. 2010). If an organization wants to hire talented people who cannot be recruited in cash, they must focus on building a great working culture. This includes working environment, meaningful work, and employees’ freedom (Meek 2015).
ReplyDeleteThe company is not just known for its innovative breakthroughs in the technology front, but is also known for its unique culture and innovative human resources (HR) policies. In a survey conducted by BusinessWeek magazine, Google was the most sought-after company by college students, MBAs, women, engineers, and diverse individuals. Google ranked 1st on the 10th annual '100 Best Companies to Work For' list of Fortune, a well-known international business magazine (John et al, 2008).
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