How to maintain innovation at Google when innovation succeds?
July 2, 2007 – 10:30 am
There is no doubt in my mind that Google has been successful and will continue to be over the years ahead.
According to the article below, Google is on track to receive more than two million resumes in 2007. Not bad for an existing staff around 12,000. Obviously, they are a hot bed place to have on your resume.
Sure, their mantra of “Do No Evil” has been challenged at times, but I still have confidence that they will continue to have a significant impact on not only the technology community, but the daily lives of every internet, computer and mobile device user.
The biggest challenge I see in front of them is maintaining their growth and innovation as the culture has changed over time.
With so many projects going on at Google (not to mention acquisitions), some projects have fallen to the side. I site the Dodgeball founders leaving after being acquired by Google as one example.
I don’t blame Google employees for cashing in and using the funds to start other ventures. In fact, I think that’s healthy to continue to foster growth, with Google indirectly funding a large number of startups.
With a current market cap around $165 billion and plenty of cash in the bank, I foresee many more acquisitions in the future.
Every organization is challenged to foster innovation and obviously Google is on to something. How do they do it? I’d be interested to hear any key points you feel could be applied to an advertising agency.
Google Losing Talent, Too
The Wall Street Journal
A lot has been said about the employee exodus at Yahoo, but fellow Web giant Google is also losing employees, particularly to Internet startups. Whereas Yahoo’s staff defection has more to do with the company’s recent failures, Google’s has more to do with the kind of employee it seeks: entrepreneurs.
Such creative minds have been the secret to the search giant’s success, but eventually employees want to go out on their own. As former Google employee Justin Rosenstein, a 24-year-old software engineer who left to join the social network site Facebook, says, another reason they leave is because Google, now 12,000 strong, can’t execute as quickly as it used to, leaving many entrepreneur types feeling fidgety.
Also, for thousands of employees brought into Google between 2003 and 2004, some highly lucrative stock options are vesting, and with the company’s stock hovering near all-time highs at around $530 per share, they may feel like cashing in and just hanging out for a while. For those who want to move on, there’s the potential reward at a promising Web startup. - Read the whole story…
[via MediaPost]
PS - In all manners of disclosure, at the time of publication, I own a few shares of Google stock. Not many at the current market value around $530/share and not that this tiny little article will make even the tiniest blip on the radar, but just so you know.
Technorati Tags: Google, talent, startup, stock options, retention
