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.
