Google Answer to Filling Jobs Is an Algorithm By SAUL HANSELL

MOUNTAINVIEW,Calif.Haveyouevermadeaprofitfromacateringbusinessordog
walking?Doyouprefertoworkaloneoringroups?Haveyoueversetaworldrecordin
anything?
TherightanswerscouldhelpgetyouajobatGoogle.
GooglehasalwayswantedtohirepeoplewithstraightAreportcardsanddouble800sontheirSATs.
Now,likeanIvyLeagueschool,itisstartingtolookformorewellroundedcandidates,likethosewho
havepublishedbooksorstartedtheirownclubs.
Desperatetohiremoreengineersandsalesrepresentativestostaffitsrapidlygrowingsearchand
advertisingbusiness,Googleintypicaleccentricfashionhascreatedanautomatedwaytosearchfor
talentamongthemorethan100,000jobapplicationsitreceiveseachmonth.Itisstartingtoaskjob
applicantstofilloutanelaborateonlinesurveythatexplorestheirattitudes,behavior,personalityand
biographicaldetailsgoingbacktohighschool.
Thequestionsrangefromtheagewhenapplicantsfirstgotexcitedaboutcomputerstowhethertheyhave
evertutoredoreverestablishedanonprofitorganization.
TheanswersarefedintoaseriesofformulascreatedbyGooglesmathematiciansthatcalculateascore
fromzeroto100meanttopredicthowwellapersonwillfitintoitschaoticandcompetitiveculture.
Aswegetbigger,wefinditharderandhardertofindenoughpeople,saidLaszloBock,Googlesvice
presidentforpeopleoperations.Withtraditionalhiringmethods,wewereworriedwewilloverlooksome
ofthebestcandidates.
Googleiscertainlynotaloneinthesearchforquantitativewaystofindgoodemployees.Employersusea
widerangeoftestsmeanttoassessskills,intelligence,personalityandhonesty.Andtheuseof
biographicalsurveyssimilartoGooglesnewsystemisontherise.
Suchtools,however,havemainlybeenthetrademarkoflargecorporationsrecruitingarmiesofsimilar
workers,liketelephoneservicerepresentativesorinsurancesalesagents.TheyarerarelyusedinSilicon
Valley,whichisbuiltonabeliefinidiosyncratictalent.
Yahoodoesnotusetests,puzzlesortricks,etc.,wheninterviewingcandidates,JessieWixon,a
spokeswomanforYahoo,said.(Googleisknownforhazingprospectsininterviewswithintractablebrain
teasers.Anditoncetriedtoattractcandidatesbyplacingsomeparticularlydifficultproblemson
billboards.)
GooglesgrowthisstaggeringevenbySiliconValleystandards.Itisconstantlyleasingnewbuildingsfor
itsoverflowingcampushereandopeningofficesaroundtheworld.
Googlehasdoubledthenumberofemployeesineachofthelastthreeyears.Eventhoughthecompany
nowhasabout10,000employees,Mr.Bocksaysheseesnoreasonthecompanywillnotdoubleagainin
sizethisyear.Thatwouldincreasethenumberofhirestoabout200aweek.

Asaresult,Mr.Bock,whojoinedGooglefromGeneralElectriclastspring,hasbeentryingtomakethe
companysrigorousscreeningprocessmoreefficient.Untilnow,headhunterssaid,Googlelargelyturned
upitsnoseatengineerswhohadlessthana3.7gradepointaverage.(Thosewhowantedtoselladscould
getbywitha3.0average,headhunterssaid.)Anditoftenwouldtaketwomonthstoconsidercandidates,
submittingthemtomorethanhalfadozeninterviews.
Unfortunately,mostoftheacademicresearchsuggeststhatthefactorsGooglehasputthemostweighton
gradesandinterviewsarenotanespeciallyreliablewayofhiringgoodpeople.
Interviewsareaterriblepredictorofperformance,Mr.Bocksaid.
Mr.Bocksaidthathewantedthecompanyshumanresourcesdepartmenttobringtheiconoclasticstyle
asitsWebsitedeveloperstothenormallyroutinefunctionofinterviewingjobcandidates.Thelevelof
questioningassumptionsisuniquelyGoogly,Mr.Bocksaid.
SoGooglesetouttofindoutiftherewereanybitsoflifeexperienceorpersonalityitcouldusetospot
futurestars.
Lastsummer,Googleaskedeveryemployeewhohadbeenworkingatthecompanyforatleastfive
monthstofillouta300questionsurvey.
Somequestionswerefactual:Whatprogramminglanguagesareyoufamiliarwith?WhatInternetmailing
listsdoyousubscribeto?
Somelookedforbehavior:Isyourworkspacemessyorneat?
Andsomelookedatpersonality:Areyouanextrovertoranintrovert?
Andsomefellintonotraditionalcategoryinthehumanresourcesworld:Whatmagazinesdoyou
subscribeto?Whatpetsdoyouhave?
Wewantedtocastaverywidenet,Mr.Bocksaid.Itisnotunusualtowalkthehallshereandbump
intodogs.Maybepeoplewhoowndogshavesomepersonalitytraitthatisuseful.
Thedatafromthisinitialsurveywasthencomparedwith25separatemeasuresofeachemployees
performance.Againthereweretraditionalyardstickstheemployeesreviews,bothbysupervisorsand
peers,andtheircompensationandsomeoddballones.
Onescorewaswhatthecompanycalledorganizationalcitizenship,saidToddCarlisle,ananalystwitha
doctorateinorganizationalpsychology,whodesignedthesurvey.Thatis,thingsyoudothatarent
technicallypartofyourjobbutmakeGoogleabetterplacetowork,Dr.Carlislesaid,suchashelping
interviewjobcandidates.
Whenallthiswascompleted,Dr.Carlislesetaboutanalyzingthetwomilliondatapointsthesurvey
collected.AmongthefirstresultswasconfirmationthatGooglesobsessionwithacademicperformance
wasnotalwayscorrelatedwithsuccessatthecompany.

Sometimestoomuchschoolingwillbeadetrimenttoyouinyourjob,Dr.Carlislesaid,addingthatnot
allofthemorethan600peoplewithdoctoratesatGoogleareequallywellsuitedtotheircurrent
assignments.
Indeed,therewasnosinglefactorthatseemedtofindthetopworkersforeverysinglejobtitle.(Andpet
ownershipdidnotseemtobeausefulpredictorofanything.)ButDr.Carlislewasabletocreateseveral
surveysthathebelievedwouldhelpfindcandidatesinseveralareasengineering,sales,finance,and
humanresources.Currentlyabout15percentofapplicantstakethesurvey;itwillbeusedforall
applicantsstartingthismonth.
EvenasGoogletriestohiremorepeoplefaster,itwantstomakesurethatitsemployeeswillfitintoits
freewheelingculture.Thecompanyboaststhatonly4percentofitsworkforceleaveseachyear,lessthan
otherSiliconValleycompanies.Anditworkshardtoretainpeople,withcopiousfreefood,timetowork
onpersonalprojectsandothergoodies.Stockoptionsandgrantscertainlyencourageemployeestostay
longenoughtotakeadvantageofthecompanyssurgingshareprice.
Googleshiringapproachisbackedbyacademicresearchshowingthatquantitativeinformationona
personsbackgroundcalledbiodataamongtestingexpertsisindeedavalidwaytolookforgood
workers.
MichaelMumford,apsychologyprofessorattheUniversityofOklahomawhospecializesintalent
assessment,saidthatthissortoftestwaseffective,buthecautionedthatcompaniesshouldnotrelyon
oddballfactors,eveniftheyseemedtocorrelatetogoodperformance.
Youhavetoknoworatleasthaveahypothesiswhyhavingadogmakesagoodcomputerprogrammer,
ProfessorMumfordsaid.Ifyouaskwhethersomeonestartedaclubinhighschool,itisaclearindicator
ofleadership.
AtGoogle,itistooearlytotellifthesystemisworking.Thesurveyshavebeeninuseinaboutadozen
areasforseveralmonths.
Indeed,thereissomeresistanceevenatGoogletotheideathatamachinecanpicktalentbetterthana
human.
Itsliketellingsomeonethatyouhavetheperfectdataaboutwhotheyshouldmarry,Dr.Carlislesaid.
Butevenbeforetheresultsareinonthenewsurvey,Mr.Bocksaysheisalreadyseeingsuccessineasing
thecompanypastitsobsessionwithgrades.
MoreandmoreinthetimeIvebeenhere,wehirepeoplebasedonexperienceasaproxyforwhatthey
canaccomplish,hesaid.Lastweekwehiredsixpeoplewhohadbelowa3.0G.P.A.
1. How and why is Google changing its hiring practices?
2. How might the new hiring survey provide a more accurate perspective on a potential employees
success with the company?

3. In what ways are the new hiring practice both characteristic and uncharacteristic of the
company?
4. Why might grades and interviews be an unreliable predictor of performance?

5. What words or phrases are used in the article to describe Google, and what do these terms
suggest about its culture?
6. Based on what you know about Google and its corporate culture, what life experiences and
personality traits do you think are desirable in its employees?
7. How does Dr. Todd Carlisle define the term organizational citizenship and how might that
benefit a workplace?

WhatkindofJob?
Thequestionsbelowcouldhelpyoudeterminewhatyourjobobjectiveshould
state:whattypeofemploymentyouareseeking;whatyoucanofferyour
employer;whereyouwanttogowiththisposition.
Answerthesequestions,andwriteacareerobjectivebasedonyouranswers.
WhatkindofjobwouldIliketohave?Threechoiceswouldbe:
Job1__________________________________________________________
Job2__________________________________________________________
Job3__________________________________________________________

WhatqualificationsdoIhaveforthejobslistedabove?
Job1__________________________________________________________
Job2__________________________________________________________
Job3__________________________________________________________

Whataremyfuturegoalsinthesepositions?
Job1__________________________________________________________
Job2__________________________________________________________
Job3__________________________________________________________