

For job seekers, end of the Google gravy train - razorburn
http://blogs.ft.com/techblog/2008/10/for-job-seekers-end-of-the-google-gravy-train/

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SwellJoe
From my understanding (and the graphs don't disprove it, aside from the
Doubleclick bounce), Google has been in "slow hire" mode for over a year. The
feeling I get from folks within is that GOOG got a bit bloated in the middle
management tier, had gotten uncomfortably hierarchical, and they would not be
hiring to replace a large number of positions (no layoffs...just fewer hires
to fill "holes" left by people leaving).

I don't think the economy has a lot to do with it--Google still has tons of
cash, revenues are strong, and growth is apparently still happening. I think
it's just that they grew too fast to hire as carefully or selectively as
prudence requires, they recognized the problem, and took steps to correct it.
(I think some of the steps are probably counter-productive. A lot of the early
hires that built Google into what it is, wouldn't be able to get an interview
with Google today, because they didn't go to the right schools or have a 4.0
GPA.)

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gms
What early hires are you thinking of?

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redorb
I thought they would be talking about a cut in options or something , slow
hiring doesn't end gravy. Better title "google hiring slows"

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litewulf
Though, the lower stock price of late means that options have been "cut"

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nostrademons
Lower stock price means the _strike price_ of the options has been cut, which
is _good_ for new employees. Your total profit on options is numOptions *
(stock price - strike price).

Unless they've reduced the number of options to compensate. I don't see why
any company would do that though - it's not like writing options at a lower
market price costs them more, accounting-wise.

