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Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

techcrunch.com

11–20 of 65 posts

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#11
post #10

This looks like a new bubble. Why would a Twitter IPO raise so much money? What are its growth prospects? Facebook may be different, but still, it all sounds very crazy.

Why does this look like a new bubble? Why wouldn't Twitter raise billions in a public offering? Their growth prospects are every web or mobile phone user - in any country - to use their service. The amount of attention Twitter has from its users is really noteworthy.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#12
Effectively they're rewarding employees for interviewing with other companies. What about the equally-valuable employees who are very happy with their jobs and don't choose to interview? Won't they become a little less happy, once they know they're making less than the guy who was a little unhappy and chose to interview?

I've spent quite a bit of time as a manager at some larger tech companies. We'd monitor turnover and adjust our compensation policies, and other policies that affected satisfaction, across the board if there was an increasing trend in turnover. Sure, we'd make a diving catch every once in a while when we didn't keep a close enough eye on one of our top developer's satisfaction. In those cases we'd still look at our overall package.

When we made adjustments, the really good, happy engineers were even happier when they got nice raises without even asking for one. Now, by across the board, I don't mean that every engineer gets a good raise. That's because as a company gets larger, they get more and more mediocre engineers. The article doesn't say that Google gives big counter offers to every engineer. I assume Google is smart enough not to do that. It's not possible that all of their engineers are really good. Sometimes good-bye is good riddance.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#13
A lot of these counteroffers must be to stop the perception of brain drain. Perception is often more important than reality.

I dont think there are that many "must not lose him/her, at any cost" engineers, even at google.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#14
Maybe I'm not used to the Silicon Valley processes but I think it is pretty uncool to tell your company you received another offer... even without explicitly mentioning you want a raise.

You should either be happy with your company, or talk with your boss in order to get better conditions. And if there is no agreement you can look around and go in some other place. But playing the game of the higher offer is something that always disturbed me.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#15
post #5
post #3

Crazy stuff, I wonder how long google's stockholders are going to tolerate overpaying (relative to market) for talent.

10-20% is probably not all that much money for Google.

Just because they have cash doesn't mean they want to dig into it, lest we forget that Google already once initiated a hiring freeze during leaner times in the advertising market.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#16
post #14

Maybe I'm not used to the Silicon Valley processes but I think it is pretty uncool to tell your company you received another offer... even without explicitly mentioning you want a raise. You should either be happy with your company, or talk with your boss in order to get better conditions. And if there is no agreement you can look around and go in some other place. But playing the game of the higher offer is somethin…

Employers often ask questions like that when people hand in their notice - in order to persuade them to stay.

And in any case, it is silly to keep your salary secret - that is how employers exert their control over employees.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#17
post #14

Maybe I'm not used to the Silicon Valley processes but I think it is pretty uncool to tell your company you received another offer... even without explicitly mentioning you want a raise. You should either be happy with your company, or talk with your boss in order to get better conditions. And if there is no agreement you can look around and go in some other place. But playing the game of the higher offer is somethin…

But playing the game of the higher offer is something that always disturbed me.

Not me. Here's my experience (many times):

  Phase I
    Me:    I deserve more $ because .
    Boss:  I can't because .

  Phase II
    Me:    I quit (not bluffing).
    Boss:  You can't.  Here's more $.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#18
By repeatedly covering this topic, and websites like this linking to the source, it's becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Essentially, TC is partly to blame and it reminds me of when they went after last.fm.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#19
post #17
post #14

Maybe I'm not used to the Silicon Valley processes but I think it is pretty uncool to tell your company you received another offer... even without explicitly mentioning you want a raise. You should either be happy with your company, or talk with your boss in order to get better conditions. And if there is no agreement you can look around and go in some other place. But playing the game of the higher offer is somethin…

But playing the game of the higher offer is something that always disturbed me. Not me. Here's my experience (many times): Phase I Me: I deserve more $ because . Boss: I can't because . Phase II Me: I quit (not bluffing). Boss: You can't. Here's more $.

I second your experience, edw519. Unfortunately, often the only way to get management to loosen the purse strings is to come back with another offer from another firm. This exact situation has happened to me. Sad, really.

Re: Google Fights Back In Battle For Talent

#20
post #17
post #14

Maybe I'm not used to the Silicon Valley processes but I think it is pretty uncool to tell your company you received another offer... even without explicitly mentioning you want a raise. You should either be happy with your company, or talk with your boss in order to get better conditions. And if there is no agreement you can look around and go in some other place. But playing the game of the higher offer is somethin…

But playing the game of the higher offer is something that always disturbed me. Not me. Here's my experience (many times): Phase I Me: I deserve more $ because . Boss: I can't because . Phase II Me: I quit (not bluffing). Boss: You can't. Here's more $.

Phase III

Boss: You're fired. We just offered you more $$ temporarily so we could have time to find a replacement because we no longer trust you after you quit the first time.

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