Google and Servant Leadership

Google has many challenges in motivating their current employees. In an industry that is extremely competitive and always changing, Google has found themselves losing employees to competitors (like Facebook) and smaller startup companies. Google offers their employees many perks and benefits that most people that work for large companies think are quite lavish. From offering massages, on-site laundry, and spa treatments (just to name a few), Google has to keep their talented employees happy of fear they may leave. According to Wall Street Journal writer Scott Morrison, “The Internet search giant recently began crunching data from employee reviews and promotion and pay histories in a mathematical formula Google says can identify which of its 20,000 employees are most likely to quit” (2009. para. 2). This is something that Google is doing that is ahead of the curve in human resources. After hearing Google can come up with an algorithm or formula that can predict employee turnover rates, many companies have attempted to duplicate Google’s process. Google’s way of looking at employee turnover is very innovative, but do they go too far with technology and data? “Current and former Googlers said the company is losing talent because some employees feel they can't make the same impact as the company matures. Several said Google provides little formal career planning, and some found the company's human-resources programs too impersonal” (Morrison. 2009. para. 10). When in the tech business many companies find themselves treating their employees like a business project. Crunching data, surveying, and monitoring their actions can cause employees to feel unappreciated. No matter how many perks you can offer an employee, Google needs to understand the importance of human interaction and emotion. Google could learn a lot from the characteristics of servant leadership. If employees could feel that Google’s intention was to help, inspire, listen, and