16 May 2008
Google loses VP of global communication
Facebook lures away another key staff member.
Social networking site Facebook has pinched another high-profile employee from web search giant, Google.
Following the appointment of chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg (formerly Google's vice president of global online sales and operations) and chief financial officer Gideon Yu (former YouTube chief financial officer), Elliot Schrage, Google's vice president of global communications and public affairs, has now left the firm to become Facebook's head of corporate communications.
Writing in ZDNet, Silicon Valley journalist Tom Foremski says Schrage was a key employee for Google, responsible for messaging across all of the company's international products. His experience in corporate responsibility, foreign policy and campaigning against child labor made him an embodiment of Google's "don't be evil" motto. The latest move is a blow to Google, which has up to now provided some 10% of Facebook's current workforce.
This latest move is a blow to Google, which has up to now provided some 10% of Facebook's current workforce.
Facebook on a downward slope?
It's not all happy sailing at the social network, however. Increasing apathy towards the site from early adopters and developers, together with more employers banning the site from the workplace amid timewasting concerns, and even rumors of a Microsoft buyout following the collapse of the Yahoo!-Microsoft merger.
Poaching rife in other markets
Poaching of employees has long been an element in business, but perhaps nowhere is it more visible than in the financial services sector. Recent senior executive moves between Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have caused turmoil as incumbent executives are outmaneuvered.
In a Financial Times article published earlier this week Ben White reports that Merill Lynch CEO John Thain is hiring former colleagues from Morgan Stanely in an effort to replicate the investment bank's famous management structure and "magic culture", which was credited with helping it avoid major exposure in the subprime crisis.
Have your say
Despite the challenging economical climate, retaining key staff remains a critical capability for organizations – even for one of the world's most recognized and highly-perceived brands such as Google. The departure of a valued employee can have many effects, some of which aren't immediately visible.
What can you do to maintain smooth communication during times of senior management changes? How often should you keep staff informed of the recruitment efforts to find a replacement?
Discuss these questions and more with the Internal Comms Hub members group on the Communicators' Network.
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Hub member profile: Michelle Stribling, Google
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