It’s no secret that Google is one of the world’s most desirable employers, employing some of the world’s greatest talent. And many are wondering how they manage to find such skilled people, and even more important, keep them working at their full capacity and motivation. Hence, people think it’s because of the name and the brand they’ve created.
However, it is not only the brand and reputation of this employer that attracts job seekers to this company, but also the fact that they do not ask for a diploma or proof of work experience when hiring. This raises a lot of questions, one of them being what do they do with these people? And, generally, what does google employee onboarding look like?
As far as those in charge at this company are concerned, you don’t need a polished, impressive resume with references, motivational letters, and proof of attendance at the world’s most elite universities, along with years of relevant work experience. Moreover, this company “fishes” for talent in a completely different way. One of their secret tools is feedback.
What is it?
Most of you reading this article think that feedback is all about giving your opinion about something. But it’s much deeper than that.
Working with people requires a constant exchange of information, and thus good feedback becomes crucial for successful business and maintaining good relationships. From an early age, we are used to receiving praise and criticism for our own behavior. Despite this, in the working environment, we very often find it difficult to accept any criticism on our own account.
Sometimes we feel that good work is praised not often enough. Then we get overwhelmed by a sense of criticism when receiving any suggestion or remark. Often it is not easy to face giving or receiving criticism. But for successful criticism and suggestions, the wording is needed that does not endanger ego and feelings.
It is common to experience criticism as a negative and stressful situation. But primarily it should be seen as a gift that we received or give to a person. The basis on which feedback rests is providing an opportunity for improvement. Good feedback directs a person in development and draws attention to difficulties and opportunities that she was not aware of. The benefit of feedback is threefold. In addition to the progress of the person to whom we are addressing, a change in behavior can make it easier for us in our work, but also for the business of the company.
It can be a secret weapon of motivation
The basis of support and cooperation is the feeling that someone notices and supports our efforts. Ultimately, to feel successful we need a lot more positive feedback than criticism.
Take into account the characteristics good feedback has and channel them through praise. Thus, clarity and specificity, the effect of said behavior, and the timeliness of providing feedback refer to the affirmation of behavior.
Keep in mind that it’s a good feeling when colleagues talk positively about our work, but direct praise is always the most intense. Don’t take it for granted that when a project is successfully completed, praise is not necessary. Perhaps there it is quite clear that success has been achieved. However, we all like to hear praise in our ears, so don’t mince your words when you see the results behind your colleagues.
It’s all clear about everyday work, but what about onboarding?
Google’s secret here is in knowing that this could also be a communicational norm and that the first six months are crucial in setting the foundation for a positive working experience, long term. Once you make sure this time is used well, you’ve set all your new hires for success. And there’s a whole roadmap they use for implementing feedback. It includes things like making sure all onboarding employees know exactly what is expected of them in their first week, feel comfortable asking questions any time they feel insecure, etc.
But in order for the work collective to be receptive, especially when it comes to onboarding employees, it is important to educate colleagues about the importance of good feedback. This is how a culture of feedback is created within the organization. It is also important for everyone to know how to give good feedback, but also to create a stimulating atmosphere in which it is welcome. So being open and initiating the exchange of feedback.
Starting from yourself so that the environment understands the benevolence of the idea. Showing by your example how feedback provides an opportunity for your own development. Complimenting a colleague and encouraging each other for this type of support. This will increase engagement in business, but also create a stimulating atmosphere.
The emphasis is also on assessing the candidate’s abilities
A company like this does not want to attract or “process” as many candidates as possible, but only the best candidates for the job. That’s why they have developed useful tools for their employment process. For example, free online courses are genius because it serves as a kind of portfolio of applicants for jobs in this company.
Based on the success of the course participants, it can easily assess who has the potential to work in their team and how a potential candidate thinks because they solve tasks and assignments as part of the course.
In this way, at the end of the course, each participant can offer a kind of portfolio of his works and the way of leading he is inclined to, as well as the communication skills he possesses. Moreover, considering that the course imitates real situations in this job, it is easy to evaluate each individual candidate and his success in the work environment.
So, in order for Google to be where it is now, a lot of smart tools had to be developed, and a lot of thinking outside the box had to happen. Feedback was just one of the tools that were logical to be used, but that made a huge impact on their business.
