The tech giant has understood that for the large majority of people, work is not something they are looking up to. For its own sake and for the well-being of its more than 50,000 employees located in 70 offices around the world, Google has devised strategies to make work more attractive.
The man behind this move is Laszlo Bock, the head of people operations at Google. His book Work rules: Insights From Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead hit the bookshelves on Tuesday. The tech company is usually known for giving its employees free meals, drinks and scooters for them to move quickly around its huge campus, but also treating them the way they deserve.
Bock spoke with Huffington about Google's philosophy when it comes to people and how job seekers are hired in a company that is ranked among the best places to work. One can argues that the company is offering the kind of incentives it gives because it is Google, but for Bock, small companies have also something to bring on table to motivate their workers. He said that any company can for example duplicate Google maternity leave as most people tend to have fewer babies these days. Google gives prospective mothers 5 months with full pay: salary, bonus, stock. Bock argues that a company with more than 10 to 20 employees can do that because the policy has proved to retain qualified and experienced human resources.
Google believes in the golden rule which essentially states that one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. He told Huffington that a lot of what Google employees do involves discretionary effort, and that you can't get that unless employees are happy and motivated. Bock said that since the company went public, workers retention is incredibly high and that it has been like that.
Bock believes that when people are well treated and given some measure of freedom, they will do amazing things. He said that as a result of that policy, Google appeals to job seekers who are constantly knocking for job opportunities. According to him, aspiring jobs seekers at Google can expect simple question like giving an intellectually difficult problem they have solved.
The hiring committee will then goes on and see if the answer demonstrates their skills.
It is interesting to note that at Google, everyone gets to evaluate their bosses. Bock noted that it is both amazing and terrifying. He pointed out that twice a year, the tech giant organize an upward survey with about 10 - 15 questions about your boss. Employees have the option to be anonymous so that they can speak up their mind. This strategy is not frightening on behalf of managers because it is not directly linked to pay or promotion. "It's just developmental and not threatening", noted the man in charge of people operations at Google.
Bock added that on his behalf, he prefers his team to clearly know what he expects from them.
During his tenure, he noted that Google has made him improve things like inspiring leadership, making good decisions and being an inclusive leader.
Asked whether Google has a soul because of its values of treating people well, Bock responded that companies are not people to have souls. He however added that companies are made of people and that Google remembers that.
