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August 08, 2006
Getting it Right at Google
Like anybody with half a brain I have a lot of respect for Google. They get things done and, though not everything they do spins straw from gold, they get most things right.
Take, for example, this recruitment video. Now, I know you could say lots of catty things about it (more on that subject later) but you have to admit, at a minimum, that they've done their homework and gathered real market insight.
You may already have clicked on the play button and had one go-through already but if you haven't, let me take a moment and set it up.
If the universe of top software engineers is small, the world of top female engineers is tiny. But they’re crucial to Google’s business strategy and attracting and retaining them is essential. In this video, you’ll see and hear a number of specific appeals to this target.
Google also mitigates some perceived liabilities--like the cost of living in the Bay Area, the idea that Google’s grown too big, that it’s too exclusive for anyone who’s not a Nobel-laureate by 22. And just to make sure you don’t miss them, you’ll see the most important messages as text callouts.
But you should also note a couple of more subtle points.
The first is that the person narrating the video isn’t a recruiter—she’s an engineer. She’s speaking, peer to peer, about what it’s like to work there.
The second is that you get a vertical look up and down the organizational ladder, from newly-hired engineers to Segey Bryn and everyone’s reinforcing these key messages in their own authentic language. And also note the emphasis on differentiation—how Google’s different from the places you might work otherwise.
Whether you're an engineer or not, you have to admit this makes working at Google look really, really fun.
(In the interest of full disclosure you should know that TMP had nothing to do with creating these insights or producing this work.)
Posted by davidkippen at August 8, 2006 10:10 PM