Who will quit next?
Google, concerned by the recent departures of several top executives, has developed an algorithm to try to identify which employees are likely to quit, The Wall Street Journal reported last week.
The Journal said the Internet search and advertising giant had turned to mathematical formulae because it was “concerned that a brain drain could hurt its long-term ability to compete”.
The newspaper said Google examined data from employee reviews and promotion and pay histories to try to identify which of its 20 000 employees were most likely to leave the Mountain View, California-based company.
Laszlo Bock, who runs human resources for Google, told the Journal the algorithm helps the company “get inside people’s heads even before they know they might leave”.
The newspaper said Google officials were reluctant to share details of the formula, which is still being tested, but it had already identified employees “who felt underused, a key complaint among those who contemplate leaving”.
Edward Lawler, director of the Centre for Effective Organisations at the University of Southern California, told the Journal that Google was “clearly ahead of the curve” in taking a more quantitative approach to personnel decisions.
The Journal quoted current and former Google employees as saying the company is losing talent because some employees feel they can’t make the same impact as the company matures.
Recent departures from Google include Tim Armstrong, a senior vice-president, who left in March to head AOL; display advertising chief David Rosenblatt; Asia-Pacific and Latin America president Sukhinder Singh Cassidy; lead designer Doug Bowman; and engineering director Steve Horowitz.
Who will quit algorithm – do you think it is accurate?
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