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Forget search engine rankings. Google is turning an eye toward bigger and more important things, like which of its 20,000 employees are most likely to quit.

That’s what a new Google algorithm can supposedly figure out, according to the company.

Google officials are hesitant to give any details on the new algorithm, understandably. It’s still in the testing stages. The data used in the formula includes information from surveys and peer reviews. According to Google, the new algorithm has already identified certain employees who felt “underused,” one of the main issues among those who think about quitting.

Google new equation should come as no surprise. The company established that using heavy data to drive decisions should be one of its “Ten Golden Rules,” as outlined in 2005.

Edward Lawler is director of the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California. He says that Google is one of a few companies that are ahead of the curve in taking a more quantitative approach to personnel decisions.

“They are clearly ahead of the curve, but a lot of companies are waking up to the fact that there is a lot of modeling that can provide you with critical data on human capital,” Mr. Lawler said.

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