Now that the 2012 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list has been announced, the real fun begins! We can now take a look inside some of the top companies and see what policies were implemented to help score such coveted positions on our 2012 list. Today’s topic: Recruitment.
Google, #1 Best Company
Google is constantly reviewing and improving upon their hiring process. The company includes all team members, not just management, in the candidate selection process. Additionally, one interviewer will be from a completely different department to ensure the candidate is a good fit for the overall company!
Last year was Google’s biggest hiring year yet, with well over a million job applicants. Almost half of the applicants were employee referrals. This is not surprising, since employees can earn up to $5,000 per referral. Probably the most progressive aspect of Google’s hiring process is the stated goal to hire someone smarter than you, who you will be challenged by, and who you will learn from.
No wonder the company is so successful and innovative!
Qualities Google seeks in a candidate:
- Diversity
- Problem-solving skills
- Curiosity and a thirst for knowledge
- The ability to think creatively and outside of the box
- Googleyness - "Googley" Googlers are passionate about their work and attack problems with flair and creativity. They are also enthusiastic about rolling up their sleeves and making the world a better place.
Preferred recruitment tools used by Google:
- A social media platform that includes an #askagoogler Twitter feed and 2 million videos posted on YouTube.
- Google Games, a recruitment event where students team up and solve mind-bending puzzles.
- Google Code Jam, a competition where over 14,000 global programmers compete to solve complex coding challenges in a limited amount of time.
- Campus recruiting, where students are invited to Tech Talks and open houses.
- Google Ambassador Program, a program that gives students the opportunity to learn about new Google products and services, while also offering feedback from their own university experience.
What does your company do to recruit top talent?
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