Efficiency and productivity are the new leitmotifs of Google’s management. Employees of the US group will be more likely to receive a negative rating next year, after the implementation of the new performance evaluation system, according to information obtained by our colleagues from CNBC.
A tougher assessment
The upper echelons of the Mountain View firm discussed the new rating system for Googlers, Google employees, at a meeting in December. This new review process, known as Google Reviews and Development, was announced earlier this year.
With the arrival of this management tool, the company’s employees will be more likely to get a bad grade. About 6% of full-time employees could fall to the bottom of the rankings, according to early estimates. At the same time, the highest categories will be less accessible. So, to be ranked in the new highest category, “Transformative impact“, an employee must have “achieved the impossible“and contributed”more than we thought possible“.
Google touts transparency
At the end of the year, the arrival of the rating system is causing controversy. A meeting between managers and employees was held on December 8th. Management ensures that its system is transparent and allows time for Googlers to bounce back in the event of a bad rating. “I know it has been difficult. We know people need time to process feedback and act on it. […] Googlers should have plenty of time to get it right“, tried to reassure Fiona Cicconi, head of human resources at Google, during the interview.
According to recent documents about Google Reviews and Development consulted by our colleagues, the group would consider “spend more per person on total compensation“, while maintaining wages 5 to 10% higher than those of the sector. Contacted by CNBC, Google did not react.
Tech crisis
In the eyes of some Googlers, this new rating system could be a low-noise way to downsize. For several months, companies in the technology sector have been going through a deep crisis. Several computer giants have been forced to lay off workers in order to drastically reduce costs, such as Amazon, Twitter, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) and Microsoft. Since the start of the year, the Nasdaq-100, a stock market index that tracks the valuation of the 100 largest US technology companies, has lost more than 30% of its value.
For its part, Google was called to order in November by The Children’s Investment Fund Management (TCI), a major investor in the Alphabet group ($6 billion). “The business could be run more efficiently with far fewer employees“, affirmed then Christopher Hohn, boss of TCI.