MC Bookstore Chapter 186 Google's Job Level System
Chapter 186 Google's Job Level System
Chapter 186 Google's Job Level System
The afternoon sun shone through the clear skies typical of Silicon Valley, California, and fell on Google's Mountain View headquarters campus.
Echoing the nearby A1 executive building, the core building of Google and the residence of the group's senior executives, the A2 executive building is the second executive building to be put into use.
"Hey, we can fight side by side again!" Kendine excitedly patted his companion's shoulder, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Today is definitely a day to remember; we must celebrate it properly!"
His eyes were bright, and the upward curve of his lips couldn't hide his excitement.
When Kendrick learned about the company's internal talent referral program, which encouraged employees to recommend outstanding talents in the industry to join Google, he immediately had an idea.
That same day, I inquired with my colleagues in the HR department and, after receiving an affirmative reply, I called my friends scattered across various locations.
Not long after, several friends resolutely submitted their resignation letters and gathered in Mountain View.
Just now, they signed their employment contracts and completed their onboarding procedures in the HR office, officially becoming members of the Google family.
"I'd love to!" Marcus, the tallest of the four, was the first to respond. He was tall and had blond hair and blue eyes, and spoke with a typical American accent.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he changed the subject and looked seriously at the other two, "However, Kendine can't pay for this celebration. I think the three of us should split the bill, as a way of thanking him for his busy schedule."
"I completely agree with Marcus's idea." One of the Chinese men was sandwiched between them, but he didn't seem out of place at all; on the contrary, he seemed very harmonious.
The influx of Chinese Americans into the American tech industry is no longer a new topic, but rather a common phenomenon within the industry.
It would be truly unusual for a tech company to have only a few Chinese employees.
Since the wave of Chinese students studying in the United States began in the 80s, a large number of Chinese students have gradually entered the American technology industry after graduation.
Especially in companies like Google that uphold the concept of diversified development, Chinese employees are ubiquitous, accounting for 15% of Google's total employees, and the proportion is steadily increasing.
That's still good. Twenty years from now, when you look back, you'll think you're living in China when you join American internet giants like Google and Microsoft.
More than half the people are Chinese, and Chinese is spoken everywhere.
Later, as AI developed, it became even more exaggerated. At that time, there was an unwritten rule in Silicon Valley that if the proportion of Chinese employees in an AI team was no more than 50%, such a team was generally not very reliable.
"I agree," the last person said.
The four walked out of the administration building and looked at the desolate landscape in the distance, with construction noises coming from all around. It was hard to imagine that they were actually at the headquarters of Google, the largest internet company.
"Google really does value its human resources department."
Kendine had previously told them that the A2 administration building, which is now occupied by the human resources department, is the second building to be put into use, after the A1 administration building where the group's core leadership is located.
Generally speaking, in most companies' organizational structures, the finance department is often regarded as the core because it controls the purse strings. However, Google has gone against the grain and entrusted this second administrative building to the human resources department. This level of importance really exceeds their usual perception.
"Lu, this isn't about valuing the HR department, it's about valuing talent." Kendine smiled and shook his head, pointing to Building A2 behind him.
"When you were going through the onboarding process inside, didn't you notice that half of the office space in this building is empty? Even if all the finance department employees moved in, this space would still be more than enough."
"But I heard that the top management is very confident that Google will grow into a large company with 10,000 employees. As the talent pool, the human resources department will definitely be expanded in the future, which is why it has its own office building."
"If the company grows into a large enterprise with tens of thousands of employees, the number of talents needed to be recruited will be enormous, and this is all the responsibility of the human resources department."
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"So rather than saying Google values its HR department, it's more accurate to say it values talent selection. I've heard Chairman Ernst say more than once in public that for tech companies, talent is the most core competitive advantage."
The group instantly showed expressions of longing. Ernst was someone that everyone admired and respected in their generation.
"The company values talent, which is undoubtedly a great boon for people like us," Lu responded.
This means their abilities will be more fairly assessed, their efforts will be more reasonably rewarded, and their career development will have a clearer path.
"By the way, what's the job level listed as L in the employment contract you just signed?" Kendine suddenly thought of a crucial question and asked curiously.
Recently, Laszlo, the head of Google's human resources department, has been pushing forward two major reforms.
First, we will expand our recruitment efforts to attract top technical talent from around the world.
Second, the personnel management system was restructured, the most crucial aspect of which was the establishment of a clear personnel rank management system.
This system is divided into two main sequences: the G sequence and the L sequence.
The G series corresponds to administrative management positions, covering all management roles from entry-level administrative staff to senior executives. The L series, on the other hand, targets technical professional positions, covering employees across all technical fields.
The G series is divided into 18 levels. G1 to G6 belong to the grassroots administrative staff, who are mainly responsible for basic administrative affairs, such as document sorting and meeting coordination. Their promotion is mainly based on a comprehensive evaluation of work performance, business ability and years of service.
Starting from G7 level, employees will officially enter the lowest level of management, such as a security team leader.
"I'm L5," Marcus answered first, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. For a newly hired technician, L5 was already a pretty good starting point.
"I'm L5 too." Another white friend shrugged, a relaxed smile on his face.
Just when the three thought Lu would also give an L5 answer, Lu raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled a slightly provocative smile. "I am L6."
"Why?" Marcus and his white friend asked in unison. They were both new employees, so why was Lu's rank one level higher than theirs?
"Impossible!" Kendine's reaction was even more intense; he almost shouted it out subconsciously.
The L series, as a technical position, is divided into 12 levels.
L1 to L4 are basic operational positions, mostly for recent undergraduate graduates, who perform basic technical support, coding, and other tasks.
L5 stands for Senior Specialist, who possesses the ability to independently solve complex technical problems.
Technical talents like Kendine, who graduated from prestigious universities and hold doctoral degrees, are usually assigned to L5 level upon joining the company.
L6 is a senior specialist, a backbone of the technical team. They can not only independently take charge of the development of project modules, but also guide employees at the L5 level and below in their work.
L7 is a technical expert with extensive experience in a specific technical field. They are capable of leading breakthroughs in key technologies and providing guidance for the team's technical direction.
L8 is a senior technical expert responsible for tackling technical challenges in the industry and driving the company's competitiveness in core technology areas.
L9 are top experts in the industry, all of whom are leading figures in their respective fields.
L10 is a researcher who focuses on the exploration and research of cutting-edge technologies. Their research results usually drive the overall progress of the industry's technological level.
L11 is a senior researcher, the kind of person who drives major technological revolutions and innovations.
L12, known as a strategic scientist, is the highest level in the entire technology sequence. They not only possess absolute authority in the technology field, but their research and development can also provide strategic support for the company's layout and development.
Currently, the highest-ranking employees in Google's technical hierarchy are at the L9 level, and they are all highly accomplished individuals who have worked in the computer field for decades and achieved significant success.
Kendine was promoted to L6 because he and his team made a significant technological advancement, and the company assessed his potential.
Otherwise, all of them, who have been employees for less than a year since graduation, would be at the L5 level.
So when Lu said he had signed an L6 contract, Kendrick found it unbelievable.
I was originally planning to show off a bit, but it seems like the other side has completely outmaneuvered me.
"Don't forget that I worked in the research lab at IBM for two years and participated in many projects."
Kendine almost forgot about this. For someone who has worked in a famous company or research institute and participated in technical projects, it is indeed a plus that cannot be counted as a recent graduate, even though he has only graduated a year ago.
"Lu has to treat me to dinner today. I'm going to eat my fill to get my revenge and soothe my resentment."
"I agree." The other two immediately chimed in, their faces beaming with smiles that suggested they were enjoying the spectacle.
The reason they care so much about job titles is not just because of face, but more importantly because job titles are directly linked to salary and benefits.
According to Google's current internal compensation system, the annual salary for L5 level technical staff is about $6.5, while the annual salary for L6 level staff can reach around $8.
"I seriously suspect that you two are deliberately targeting me because you don't want to pay for Kendine's services," Lu said with a laugh, teasing his two friends, but still readily agreed.
"Alright, it's on me today. Kendine, you know Mountain View well, so hurry up and find a good spot. Let's head out now."
That's the good thing about Google – flexible working hours, which is what the three of them like most since joining Google.
The four of them skipped work and left late at night, and no one thought there was anything wrong with it, because everyone had done the same thing.
However, what the four were unaware of was that one of them had already caught the eye of Google Chairman Ernst.
In his top-floor office in the A1 administration building, Ernst looked at an employment application form brought to him by Laszlo's secretary, a look of surprise on his face.
"It really is him—" he murmured softly, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Chairman, what did you say?" Laszlo's secretary stood to the side, not having heard Ernst's words clearly.
In fact, she still doesn't understand why the other party would suddenly ask for a new employee's information.
Google has dozens of new employees joining every day, but Ernst has never paid attention to the information of these junior employees.
"It's nothing." Ernst shook his head, handed the employment documents to his secretary, and indicated that she could leave.
"I've looked at this document. You can take it back and file it."
The secretary took the documents, glanced at Ernst with a puzzled look, and then turned and left the office.
What she didn't know was that Lu, as listed in the document, actually had a more widely known Chinese name.
Lu Qi.
Ernst paid attention to this information because he happened to see several people going through the onboarding process when he was inspecting Building A2 that morning. He thought their faces looked familiar, so he asked his secretary to retrieve their onboarding information.
"I never expected it to actually be him." Ernst leaned back in his office chair.
In my past life, I spent money to buy tickets to listen to your speech, and in this life, I've become one of your employees.
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