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Google’s Hiring Techniques: What Are They and What Can We Learn from Them?

HRCrossing — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:20 +0000

As of 2010, Google had over 24,000 employees worldwide. We know that they’ve only grown in the three years since, but how and where does Google find all their employees? What makes someone Google-worthy material? Fortune named Google the “Best Company to Work For” in 2012, a year in which they made a record 8,067 hires. How do they do it?

Google relies on recruiters to find most of their talent. They haven’t released any official numbers on how many active recruiters they have since 2009, when they had around 400. Some estimates put Google at close to 1,000 recruiters, with around 300 being full-time employees and another 600 as contractors. More conservative guesses posit that Google has around 500 recruiters. Google’s philosophy is that they want to attract the “best of the best,” which means that they need lots of motivated, enthusiastic people to go out and find people like them. This logic is predicated on the assumption that a really great engineer (or, insert discipline here) is worth many times more than the average one, so expending lots of effort on finding those perfectly talented individuals pays off in a big way over time.

According to Google’s hiring website, they look for people who are “good at lots of things,” who can keep up with a work environment moving “at Internet speed” (we’re assuming Google threw out their dial up modem before declaring that), and has a nimble mind. They aim to hire people who are going to be good in the long-term, not just on immediate projects. This means that Google wants to hire people who are smart and who both desire and already possess the ability to learn new skills as needs arise. Since the tech industry is in a permanent state of change, anyone hired to be a long-term investment necessarily has to be able to roll with the punches and keep their skills sharp and current.

The first step in the actual hiring process is the application. Google suggests that prospective employees include accurate and relevant information about their educational background and work experience. Applicants should explain how their experience fits with the position in question. If Google likes what they receive, the potential employee is then contacted by a recruiter to arrange an interview. Google’s interview process includes a manager and a peer interview and they consider feedback from both groups when making a hiring decision. They do this because they want to ensure that new employees will get along well in Google’s team-centric environment. They also have at least one person from another department entirely review everything before hiring someone to make sure that the potential employee is a good fit for Google overall.

In the interview process, Google looks for leadership, subject knowledge, how people think, and “Googlyness.” This means that they think about how potential employees have worked in different situations, if they really know what they say they know (Google is not afraid to ask some tough tech questions in interviews. As they say, “be prepared to substantiate anything you put on a resume”, if you’re good at using your brain to solve problems, and if you will really fit in at Google.

For other groups looking to emulate Google’s hiring model, there are a few lessons. Although you might not have the budget (or the interest) in having hundreds of recruiters at your beck and call, you can still work to find top talent. You might hire a dedicated recruiter or contract a recruitment agency who fully understands your institutional goals. When considering resumes and applicants, look for people with diverse skillsets because that indicates a willingness to learn and a certain enthusiasm that you can likely leverage to the benefit of your business. Think about how a new person will fit into the office culture and if he or she will be a personality that meshes well with the ones you already have. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask people tough questions in an interview to make sure they actually know what they say they know. Recruiting boldly and engaging thoroughly and honestly with all your candidates, you too can find top-talent for your company.

Angie Picardo is a writer for NerdWallet, a financial literacy website where you can find information on topics from how to better leverage your company’s finances and better set your personal financial goals.

Why hiring interns is more dangerous than ever — and how to stay safe

HRCrossing — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:30:05 +0000

The article is about the Why hiring interns is more dangerous than ever. Article states that In January, American television interviewer Charlie Rose and his production company, Charlie Rose, Inc., agreed to pay up to $250,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by a former intern who claimed she wasn?t paid for her work.

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Why hiring interns is more dangerous than ever — and how to stay safe

USCIS – Revised Form I-9 Issued

HRCrossing — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:06:58 +0000

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a revised Form I-9, and employers should begin using it right away. All employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for each employee hired in the United States. The purpose of the form is to verify employees’ identity and employment authorization. Employers shouldn’t complete the revised Form I-9 for current employees if a properly completed form is already on file.

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USCIS issues revised Form I-9

Can’t use earlier bias complaints as an excuse for sexual harassment: Court

HRCrossing — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:55:09 +0000

The article is about the Can?t use earlier bias complaints as an excuse for sexual harassment. Article states that Gary Vaughn was a long-time employee of the U.S. Forest Service, working primarily at a training center in Illinois. It also says that Vaughn and the Department of Agriculture (the Forest Service?s parent agency) finally agreed to a settlement.

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Can’t use earlier bias complaints as an excuse for sexual harassment: Court

Phoenix bans sexual orientation discrimination

HRCrossing — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:39:47 +0000

The article is about the Phoenix bans sexual orientation discrimination. Article states that On February 26, the Phoenix City Council voted to amend its human relations ordinance to include lesbian, gay, and transgender persons as well as disabled individuals among the groups protected from employment discrimination. It also says that The Phoenix ordinance will be enforced by the city?s Equal Opportunity Department, which has a staff of investigators to probe complaints.

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Phoenix bans sexual orientation discrimination

Use FMLA Leave as an “Early Warning System”

HRCrossing — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 05:32:46 +0000

Employers can use leave-taking under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as an ?early warning system? to predict and prevent disability absence, according to a study by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), a benefits research and consulting firm. ?In many ways FMLA gets a bad rap because of the spotlight on questionable claims, and employers usually focus on trying to prevent misuse of leaves,? said IBI President Thomas Parry in a media release.

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Use FMLA Leave as an �Early Warning System�

Business Community Supports House Job Training Bill

HRCrossing — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 05:31:21 +0000

The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved legislation March 6, 2013, to reform the nation?s workforce development system. The bill, known as the SKILLS Act, was introduced Feb. 25 by the House Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee to replace the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which has not been reauthorized since 2003.

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Business Community Supports House Job Training Bill

How to Reduce OSHA Fines

HRCrossing — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:56:09 +0000

The commission is an independent agency that hears employer contests of OSHA citations. Both employers and employees have the right to participate in this hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). The hearing mirrors all the elements of a trial, including examination and cross-examination of witnesses. You may choose to represent yourself or have an attorney represent you. The ALJ may affirm, modify or eliminate any contested items of the citation or penalty.

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How to Contest and Reduce OSHA Fines

H-1B Cap Filing Season to Begin April 1

HRCrossing — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:28:03 +0000

Employers wishing to sponsor a first-time H-1B worker should soon begin the petition process.H-1B visas become available each year on Oct. 1?and filings with USCIS can be made no sooner than six months in advance.Every year limited number of H-1B work visas are available.An additional 20,000 are available under an exemption for foreign nationals who have graduated from a U.S. college or university with a master?s degree or higher.

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H-1B Cap Filing Season Begins April 1

New HRM Impact Award Declared

HRCrossing — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:27:46 +0000

The article is about the new HRM impact award announced.Winners will be selected based on their HR practices and initiatives that have been measured and deemed successful through evidence-based, data-driven analyses.They will receive a plaque and media exposure highlighting their winning practices or initiatives.A panel of volunteer judges, including academics and HR practitioners from the four sponsoring organizations, will review submissions based on Financial or operational impact on the business or enterprise,Impact on employees and teams.

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New HRM Impact Award Announced