Emerging from the end of the recession, many companies are still in a phase of recouping losses, finding their footing, and holding on tight to their remaining assets. However, some companies have continued to thrive and grow despite the economic climate, and are using the improvements in the market to push for greater heights. One of those companies is Google, who is slated to go on a hiring spree in 2011.
According to a video interview, Google representatives told MarketWatch that they would have a “record year” in 2011. This indicates that they will beat their figures for 2007, a year in which the company hired approximately 6000 employees. Exactly how many hires there will be is uncertain, but Google is dedicated to what they call the “war for talent.”
Google has plenty of projects in the works that require these employees, with the Chrome OS launch this year playing a significant role in Google’s technological future. Further, while still only in the “rumored” phase, the Google social network Google+1 may see a 2011 launch.
This shouldn’t be seen as an “indicator of overall good health” for either the search engine technology field or the market on the whole. After all, Yahoo has announced a cut of 135 staff members, just two months after it cut approximately 700 employees. The layoffs are part of “anticipated” actions, but are discouraging for shareholders, users, and undoubtedly Yahoo employees.
Google’s hires will put the search engine giant at approximately 30,000 employees by the end of 2011, a humble figure when compared with technology titans like Microsoft (~90,000), but significant for the scope of Google’s field. Meanwhile, Yahoo’s new cuts will put them at around 13,000 employees, with the possibility for more layoffs later in the year.
