Google’s Answer to Filling Jobs Is an Algorithm

Google Answer to Filling Jobs Is an Algorithm. First, from a “what should I do,” view, I believe, Kevin Meyer’s advice is more appropriate: The False God of the Almighty Algorithm. But Google can do some things well that are unwise for others to try.

Desperate to hire more engineers and sales representatives to staff its rapidly growing search and advertising business, Google — in typical eccentric fashion — has created an automated way to search for talent among the more than 100,000 job applications it receives each month. It is starting to ask job applicants to fill out an elaborate online survey that explores their attitudes, behavior, personality and biographical details going back to high school.

They are comparing this to answers provided by Google employees (who were asked to fill out 300 question surveys). I can’t see this as an effective strategy for most companies. And even for Google, I don’t see it as a great idea, but trying ideas that might seem crazy can be an effective innovation strategy. Google experimenting in this way, seems fine to me – though I think it will fail. Better: Google’s brain teasers – but that effort probably will not scale to meet Google’s needs.

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“Interviews are a terrible predictor of performance,”

I would agree with that, see: Hiring the Right Workers.

The company boasts that only 4 percent of its work force leaves each year, less than other Silicon Valley companies

Impressive.

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6 Responses to Google’s Answer to Filling Jobs Is an Algorithm

  1. ericch says:

    Let Google’s stock price hit a sustained low, and see if the staff retainment remains the same. That will tell you how many people are there holding out for the promise of a massive payout oneday, and how many are there because they actually enjoy the environment.

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  3. bhattathiri says:

    Excellant blog.
    It creates harmony in working together – equilibrium in thoughts and actions, goals and achievements, plans and performance, products and markets. It resolves situations of scarcity, be they in the physical, technical or human fields, through maximum utilization with the minimum available processes to achieve the goal. Lack of management causes disorder, confusion, wastage, delay, destruction and even depression. Managing men, money and materials in the best possible way, according to circumstances and environment, is the most important and essential factor for a successful management

  4. Anonymous says:

    As a programmer and someone involved in the employment industry I love this idea if it worked even a little bit it’s something that could be expanded upon in many interesting ways. Google have all the data and computing power to do it. You wouldn’t just go ahead and hire the people that the algorithm suggested. I guess you would start with a blind study. The algorithm selects the best potential candidates out of a pool of people only so its result can be compared to who is actually employed after the normal interview process in completed. This way you can gauge results and make improvements. Once the algorithm reaches a level of competence you could use it automatically weed out the ‘no chance’ applications.

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