Google’s People Operations: The Three-Thirds HR Team

For the fifth year in a row, Fortune Magazine and the Great Place to Work Institute have named Google the “Best Company to Work for.” From innovative technology to a renowned corporate culture, it’s no wonder why everyone wants to land a job at Google. The company has come a long way since Larry Page and Sergey Brin began working out of Susan Silverstein’s garage with a mission to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” While these two brilliant entrepreneurs can be credited for the establishment of this incredible organization, the global enterprise that we see today would not have been possible without the department of People Operations attracting the best talent, creating and maintaining culture and diversity, and analyzing data to establish the best hiring and retention strategies. 



Google’s “Three-Thirds” HR Team 

Google’s Human Resources department, called People Operations, operates on what is called the “three-thirds” staffing model. One-third of the HR team has “HR backgrounds and bring expertise in client relations as well as specialty skill areas such as employment law and compensation and benefits." Another third lacks human resource experience but displays great problem-solving skills and an understanding of how things work outside of HR. The final third is all about analytics; a group of statistically-minded professionals that analyze data to create and refine best practices for hiring, retention, culture, and more. These three thirds come together to share their respective knowledge and skills to make People Operations at Google more objective and successful.

Turning Three Thirds into “Three-Thirds”

There would be little use in having three groups in People Operations if each third worked independently without sharing their expertise with the rest of the department. The objective of “Three-Thirds” is not to segment but rather to diversity. Turning this work group into an efficient team requires certain conditions to be met. In such a diverse group, it is important that leadership is a shared activity. Responsibility and accountability should be established on both the individual and collective level to facilitate a team mindset. Another way to facilitate this mindset is through the establishment of a group mission. Additionally, problem solving should become a regular habit throughout the group. Finally, effectiveness should be measured according to collective rather than individual outcomes.

Teamwork Competencies

A great way for Google to promote effective teamwork in their HR department would be to hold regular training on teamwork competencies. An individual who is competent in teamwork helps the group come to a mutual understanding of a situation. In this way, the team can work together to solve problems from a more objective perspective. An effective team player also assists in the organization and management of team performance. Establishing team goals and providing feedback is not the responsibility of a single individual, but rather something that each individual in the team should be responsible for. Another teamwork competency is the ability to promote a positive team environment by maintaining norms such as respect and tolerance. It is also important that each individual develops strong conflict management skills. Finally, it is important that each team member has the ability to promote their own perspectives respectfully while considering the opinions of others objectively.

Trust in a Cross-Functional Team 

For this diverse cross-functional team to operate cohesively, it is paramount that trust is established throughout the department. This is no small matter, considering that “it takes years to build trust, but only a second to destroy it” according to Harvey Mackey. If trust is “believing that you can count on others in a relationship,” then it is a vital component of working together as a team. Management professor Fernando Bartolomé outlines six guidelines for building team trust: Communication, support, respect, fairness, predictability, and competence. While each of these elements are of vital importance, open and honest communication is key. All of these basic principles tie into a person’s credibility, which is the anchor of trust. 

Instrumental Cohesiveness

There are two types of cohesiveness that bind groups of individuals together: Socio-emotional and instrumental. Socio-emotional cohesiveness is “a sense of togetherness that develops when individuals derive emotional satisfaction from group participation." While this type of cohesiveness is effective and rewarding in many contexts, it can be argued that Google’s cross-functional team would benefit more from instrumental cohesiveness. This sense of togetherness is derived from mutual dependence when the group members believe that the group’s goals would not be possible by acting separately. The purpose of Google’s three workgroups is to diversify the collective. Each workgroup should understand that without one of the other groups, their operations would be limited. In other words, it’s important that the team sees each workgroup as being instrumental to the whole. 

Conclusion

Google’s People Operations are extremely successful due to the diversity of their cross-functional team. For this reason, it is important that diversity is celebrated to truly emphasize its importance in the workplace. Maintaining group cohesiveness is an ongoing struggle, as members of the group are constantly being replaced and trust is fragile. Employees should be reminded of teamwork competencies regularly and effectiveness should be measured on a collective level. Regular group meetings should be enforced to facilitate communication and to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This also provides the opportunity to share ideas to offer the group a more objective picture. The success of Google at large is dependent on the success of this cross-functional team; therefore, the progressive refinement of People Operations is of upmost importance for this global technology enterprise.

References

Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2013). Organizational Behavior (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

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