Human resources Management: Google - Essay Example

Topic: CASE STUDY NO. 2: GOOGLE What do you think of the idea of Google correlating personal traits fromthe employee’s answers on the survey to their performance, and then using that as the basis for screening job candidates? In other words, is it or is it not a good idea and please explain your answer. Correlating personal traits to performance evaluation and using these traits as standards in the selection of employees is a good idea. This is because, at a broader context, traits are basic elements inherent in human resources that can be optimized for the company’s operation. In the case of Google, the company has set standard traits for its employees. These traits are (a) being a good coach of a team; (b) nurturing of team empowerment and inhibition of managers to micromanage; (c) expressing of interest for the team’s success and well-being; (d) productive and result-oriented; (e) skilled communicator an good listener; (f) motivates employees for career development; (g) with clear vision and strategies for the team; and, (h) technical expertise (Murray, 2011, p. 1). As standard in the performance of their jobs, the same are useful measures in the evaluation of workers performance and as significant indicators in the achievement of company’s success (Murray, 2011). Being said so, the company necessitates employees who are imbibed with these standard traits and thus, could be also an instrument in the screening of their applicants (Murray, 2011). Traits are values essential in making the company operate. These are personal values which could be found in every employees of Google company. Such positive traits are essential elements sought amongst employers because this will illustrate the workers’ competence and excellence. Borghans, Duckworth, Heckman, & ter Weel (2008) opined that traits has the power which supports the cognitive capacity in handling Google business operations. Traits will also determine employees sense of accountability, learning ability, adaptability and their capacity for decision-makings specially on complex situation within the working environment (Borghans, et.al., 2008). Traits also determine their behaviors which could help explicate their preferences, social preferences, and motivations. Its through this personality traits where employees could understand the patterns of worker’s cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects (Borghans, et.al., 2008; p. 3) 2. The benefits that Google pays obviously represent an enormous expense. Based on what you know about Google and on what you read in this book, how would you defend all these benefits if you’re making a presentation to the security analysts who were analyzing Google’s performance? Google is one of the top ten leading company and is still maintaining its credibility as world’s best and fastest search engine online. As it systematize the world’s information to make them useful (Google, 2012), it made technology as partner in knowledge development and management which helped advance academic, corporate, industrial, governance and technological development. It targets excellence and perfection in the development of applications, products and related services (Google, 2012). It is not therefore surprising that the company will prefer to invest and offer benefits to its employees that would commensurate to the nature of worker’s skills, abilities, expertise, innovativeness, and agility to perform tasks with exquisite professionalism. Aside from the fact that laws mandate companies to accord just wages and benefits to employees, Popovici, Criveanu, Criveanu, & Munteanu (2010) also pointed that perks and incentives are corporate ways of motivating employees to discourage easy turn-around of employees. Popovici et. Al (2010) explained that equitable salaries, benefits, incentives and perks may sound expensive but these are mechanisms to ascertain that employees are taken cared and are accorded with due importance. These also motivate them as their needs are considered. Popovice et. al. (2010) explained that a company which targets success, managers must understand the factors that motivate employees to work. Such motivating factors, if responded well, have strong influence to the attitude of the workers for the company. However, anent to this, the company should not have some hindsight of its intention to keep its employees perform their functions attuned to the company’s purpose, aims and targets within a given timeframe. This is the cause of Google why it must keep its workers at the bottom line to continuously endeavor to fulfill and achieve desired levels and performance advancement (Florea, 2011). Aside from providing such opportunity for worker’s personal development, it likewise saves the company from experiencing the losses and sudden unwanted operational dysfunction, which can happen overtime, if employees are discontented with remuneration and benefits (Florea, 2011). Providing more benefits to employees also give the company such level of competitiveness and leverage against present and future competitors. Tomlinson, Rizvi, Salinas, Garry, Pehr, & Rodriguez, (2010) pointed that its the goal of the company to be the world’s source of information and thus, must make its performance perfectly accessible in the universe. Nowadays, experts are constantly studying the success of the company in enforcing its business strategize hoping that it can maximize it as model for other corporate operations, such as urban issues management and policy development. Google adopts hegemonic policy perspectives and organizes knowledge limits access to alternative policy perspectives in the name of public interests too (Tomlinson et.al, 2010; p. 1). It’s performance command dominance to information management and conceptualization of information technology. Such gargantuan tasks aren’t easy and thus, its essential for the company to truly effect salary scheme that is commensurate to the complexity of their workers tasks. 3. If you wanted to hire the brightest people around, how would you go about recruiting and selecting them? If brightest people around be recruited and selected, the recruitment process will cover examination to test their cognitive skills; interview to determine their motivation and ability to communicate; and review of their academic records (Florea, 2011). Recruits must undertake series and rigorous training for the company to be able to employ an intelligent employee that can serve clients at the global scale; dynamic and adaptive to changes or challenges; and must have the capacity to forecast market development (Genteel, 2011). The company has adopted recruitment strategies for cost-efficient recruitment process; to meet company’s legal and social obligations; and escalate the success rate of hiring applicants that can positively contribute to company’s success in achieving targets and goals (Florea, 2010 p. 352-355). The human resource office can therefore optimize the process by deciding to undertake either of the following recruitment strategies: (a) fitness strategy; (b) malleability strategy; (c) flexibility strategy; (d) general recruitment; (e) specific recruitment; (f) concentric recruitment; (g) closed system recruitment and (h) mass recruitment (Florea, 2010 p. 352-355). 4. To support its growth and expansion strategy, Google wants (among other traits) people who are super-bright and who work hard, often round-the-clock, and who are flexible and maintain a decent work–life balance. List five specific HR policies or practices that you think Google has implemented or should implement to support its strategy, and explain your answer. Google has pioneered in the development and implementation of strategies to meet its distinct operational needs. These are as follows: a. Development of a creative, colorful and relaxing working environment. Google’s main office could be mistaken as a recreation site with sporty and relaxing ambience where workers could work depending on one’s personality type (Florea, 2011). b. Practice and respect to multiculturalism and diversity as a corporate policy. They have also accorded flexibility for workers in preferring their working hours. While they strive for excellence and perfection in the performance of their duties, Google respect differences and choices provided it can still contribute to organizational enhancement and success (Genteel, 2011). c. Sense of innovativeness. Carr (2007) pointed that company have strategically made itself as brilliant in knowledge management thru its search engine’s capacity for knowledge organization; creative imitation and breakthrough in information technology engineering (p 1.) d. On performance management, Google thrive with diversity and creativity. Aside from just salaries, the company also offers benefits, incentives and perks. They empower employees to excel; measure developments rigorously to make some adjustments when necessary; and maintain corporate discipline that is adaptive of changes (Minzheong, 2010). Albeit it’s high corporate status, Google also sustain strategic rethinking to conduct business operations with proficiency and cost-efficiency. The company likewise maintains opens communication for good coordination. They perform task as a team and shared accountability to the resolution of problems (Minzheong, 2010). Performance management is indispensable in running a business because this will dictate how resources are utilized over time and will also direct the company either to success or failure. Google certainly will not opt for failure. e. Maintaining focus on its goals without hindsight of the constant changes in the market. Being output and result-oriented, the company wanted that their works are systematized and synchronized. (Google, 2012) 5. What sorts of factors do you think Google will have to take into consideration as it tries transferring its culture and reward systems and way of doing business to its operations abroad? Google needs to consider the economic, political, social and cultural make up of the countries where Google consider of transferring its corporate culture. While Google is present in most countries online, but if it needs to strategize its operation abroad, the company must note cultural practices and the social make up that made such country distinct from western nation. For instance, China remained a conservative country not amenable to a more liberalized online accessibility of all websites (Efrati, Zhang, & Chao, 2012) . China maintained that some sites are pornographic should be inaccessible for youths and children. Being Asian, China is also unwilling to introduce the western culture online to its people. Such meant that there remained some countries that are sensitive to cultural preservation (Efrati et, al, 2011). Google must be sensitive to this because there are policy implications inherent to such reality. As such, Google must try to compromise with regulatory bodies for this to strategize its operational control. While reward systems are acceptable to everyone, regardless of cultural and social beliefs, such must be gracefully exercised to motivate employees whose performance reached or exceeded company’s expectation. Reward system must not be discriminatory to peoples’ identity, beliefs, culture and social practices. However, Google must maintain open communication with its employees, assess needs thoroughly and must be express on company’s business mission and goals while maintaining appreciation to multiculturalism and diversity (Minzheong, 2010). This isn’t difficult for Google since diversity is evidently practiced by the company offshore. For instance, in UK, Google decided to partner with Generating Genius to inspire youths from black communities to acquire higher education on innovative technology (Mulligan, 2011, p. 1). They likewise employ persons without regard to sexual orientation and preference. In fact, the company joined, among others, in the celebration of Pride parades too (Yeung, 2011). It has also transcended gender-bias as female engineers are encourage to partake in technovation challenges—an endeavor to engaged them in creative activities like apps and program development (Panicker, 2011). It has also engaged varied institution using its corporate social responsibility program (Genteel, 2011) 6. Given the sorts of values and culture G values and culture Google cherishes, briefly describe four specific activities you suggest they pursue during new-employee orientation. There are four specific corporate values that Google should do to orient new-employees. These are as follows (Google, 2012; Minzheing, 2010): a. Clear discussion and orientation about the company’s vision, mission, goals, activities and targets. They should likewise be oriented about the company’s policy, operation and its challenges. Anent to this is a discussion of salary and rewards scheme; and, benefits and perks. The latter should be made inclusive in a discussion about how the company manages its human resources (Google, 2012; Minzheing, 2010); b. Sharing of company’s best practices which evolved into corporate values and culture. Engaged teams to planning and decision-making (Google, 2012; Minzheing, 2010); c. Conduct coaching and teambuilding to nurture cooperation, collaboration and group-thinking (Google, 2012; Minzheing, 2010); d. Conduct training or seminar to empower, advance and equipped employees with necessary skills attuned to Google’s needs and operation (Google, 2012; Minzheing, 2010). Through these, the employees are encouraged to practice openness, systematization, synchronization and customization of their focus (Minzheing, 2010). References Efrati, Amir; Chao, Loretta, &Zhang K., (2012). Googles Softens Tone in China. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203436904577155003097277514.html Accessed: January 21, 2012. Nicholas Carr (2007). The Google Enigma. Strategy+Business. Booz & Company Global Managament Consulting Firm. Nicoleta Valentina Florea, 2010. "Linking Marketing And Human Resources Recruitment To Obtain Organizational Efficiency," Management and Marketing Journal, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 0(2), pages 352-364, November. Song, Minzheong, 2010. "A Study on Platform's New Strategy in Media 2.0 Era - Based on Keyston concept & Google case," 21st European Regional ITS Conference, Copenhagen 2010: Telecommunications at new crossroads - Changing value configurations, user roles, and regulation 32, International Telecommunications Society (ITS). Shubhie Panicker (2011). Future female engineers come together in the Technovation Challenge. The Official Google Blog. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/search/label/diversity Accessed: January 21, 2012. Chris Genteel (2011). Accelerating diversity outreach to businesses in local communities. The Offical Google Blog. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/search/label/diversity Accessed: January 21, 2012. Yeung, Cynthia (2011). Celebrating Pride 2011. The Official Google Blog. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/search/label/diversity Accessed: January 21, 2011. Eleanor Mulligan (2011). Generating Genis in the UK with young black talent. The Official Google Blog. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/search/label/diversity Accessed: January 21, 2012 Murray, Sean (2011). The 8 Most Important Qualities of Leadership at Google. The Real Time Leadership, Seattle, WA. Borghans, Lex & Duckworth, Angela Lee & Heckman, James J. & ter Weel, Bas, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," IZA Discussion Papers 3333, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). Assoc. Prof. Norina Popovici Ph. D & Prof. Ion Criveanu Ph. D & Prof. Ion Criveanu Ph. D & Assoc. Prof. Irena Munteanu Ph. D, 2010. "Motivation In Work," Annals of University of Craiova - Economic Sciences Series, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 3(38), pages 8, May. Tomlinson, R., Rizvi, A., Salinas, R., Garry, S., Pehr, J. and Rodriguez, F. (2010), The Influence of Google on Urban Policy in Developing Countries. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 34: 174–189. doi: 10.1111 Read More