Apr 1, 2015 | Blog

Why Google Is Giving You Their Playbook

Optimize Your Talent Strategy
Acquire the Right Talent

Navigating the organization to get work done is a hazard of any job, but should it be a hazard when it comes to career management? Turnover can occur for various reasons, but for some companies, the cyclical process for HR to find the "right" talent should be re-engineered for the “right” talent to find the “right” company. In a recent article from Forbes, Google's SVP of People Operations announced that they are sharing their vision for recruiting, training, and resource optimization, underscoring the talent challenge companies are facing, hence the reason why Google is giving you their playbook.

The general advice given to employees coming into an organization is:

1) Learn Your Role            2) Perform Well           3) Build Relationships

  • While this advice lends itself to creating a successful foundation, is it enough to understand the culture and how to make a real impact? 
  • What are the other intangibles not shared contributing to the pitfalls employees may be facing? 
  • Are there opposing forces at work between career management (the employee focus) and workforce management (the employer focus)? 

Some HR orientation and onboarding programs attempt to give new employees a "cheat sheet" to acclimate to the environment, but employees can be left hanging for how to really be successful given the true essence of the culture. In the Edgar Schein model of organizational culture, he identifies the four factors comprising culture: artifacts, behaviors, values, and assumptions. This model unpacks the tangible and intangible variables we all encounter in every organization. What may not be covered in onboarding programs, although "designed" to set in motion the foundation of an employee's career, is more of the intangibles needed to navigate the pitfalls. Employees want a solid framework that removes the complexities burdening their performance and impeding career advancement.  Some companies, like Google, are figuring this out and have constructed a workforce management strategy to share their playbook, a trend every company should follow.

Getting Smarter At Acquiring and Retaining Talent

Startups have a great advantage over mature companies to create the "right" culture from the start, designing their structure to align with the company's vision and values. Startups have the opportunity to effectively integrate a systematic process to acquire and retain talent, including off-boarding employees who no longer fit or support the strategic goals.  Netflix was one of the first to discuss their elegant solution to acquire, retain, and terminate resources. Mature companies may have to work harder and be intentional about this process, which can often times get shifted in with a host of priorities focused on business value, but what can be more valuable than aligning culture to strategy? Another organization that is taking the unique approach to sharing their playbook is Techdept, a UK company who has publicly made available its “culturebook” demonstrating the importance of aligning their workforce with the business strategy. 

This model removes the guesswork from the equation for employees seeking to understand what it takes to be successful in any organization. For career management, Techdept’s employees have solid information to base career decisions upon. For talent acquisition, this same information goes beyond the company's walls and becomes an impactful recruitment tool for the potential employee. At a minimum, this benefits everyone for several reasons: 

The Potential Hire:

  • Information is easily attainable and not a secret formula that has to be extracted from a recruiter or hiring manager.
  • Interested applicants can easily assess if the culture is the right fit prior to a job offer.

The Employee:

  • It level sets the organization despite tenure and holds leaders accountable for the behaviors outlined in the playbook.
  • The investment for creating such a transparent plan is maximized in key areas like performance management, while minimizing the ramp up time for learning and adjusting to the organization.

The Organization:

  • This tangible artifact allows the company to demonstrate its commitment to hiring the right talent, even before one decides to apply.
  • Employees entering the organization are aligned with the vision, fully supporting where the company is headed.

This approach seems so simple and impactful that it begs the question, why isn't everyone doing this? For some companies, rethinking the strategy for what it will take to create the right workforce is a big investment, and it starts with sharing the playbook. What is it worth to have newly hired employees aligned for success and sustainability year after year? Google’s recent announcement of a similar plan makes them appear to understand the value of broadening their transparency to attract the desired talent. Although there were no specifics shared for a diversity strategy, it was listed as one of the items to be solved. While not concerned with sharing their "secret formula" with competitors, Google is driving to implement a model appealing to the right talent, allowing employees to effectively manage their careers, and evolving into a culture where employees are set up to succeed, even BEFORE accepting a job.

Advice for the Potential Employee

Not everyone is forthcoming with their playbook, so it will be important for the potential employee to determine how to ascertain this information prior to accepting an offer. Potential candidates should consider how to assess the culture fit during the interview process, and this information should be easy to obtain from recruiters and hiring managers. For candidates who make it to the final interview, a little time should be spent with key people in the organization to establish a real sense of the culture and the ability to be successful in the given role. Investing this time now can save everyone valuable time later, and the company demonstrates transparency and a commitment to hiring the right people.

About The Author

Stacey Rivers is the Director of the Executive Portfolio Management Office for a technology division at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. In this role, Rivers is responsible for aligning organizational strategies and objectives through portfolio-level oversight and governance of technology projects and operations to support business and finance initiatives across multiple platforms, applications, and services. She has a MS in Management with a focus on Organizational Effectiveness, and a BS in Technology Management. Rivers is an HCI certified Human Capital Strategist (HCS) and a Strategic Workforce Planner (SWP). You can access more of her content on Twitter or CareerBluprint.org.