Doomed....Google lays off contractors, founder says contractors expenses "really high

[YHB]

Google is slashing the number of contract workers it employs, suggesting that even the most successful of businesses face a torrid time as a global slowdown begins to bite.

A spokesman for the internet search giant said: "We have been thinking for some time, before the acute phase of the economic crisis, about significantly reducing the number contract workers."

Google employs about 10,000 contractors and a further 20,000 full staff members. It did not say how many contractors, who do not qualify for full company benefits, will be affected by the move to cut costs.


Sergey Brin, the billionaire co-founder of Google, recently signalled that contractor cuts were likely when he told the San Jose Mercury News that contractor expenses were "really high".



DOOMED!!!



http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle5230024.ece

[AtW]

They need to remain competitive for the imminent SKA big news, coming soon now...

[YHB]

Originally Posted by AtW

They need to remain competitive for the imminent SKA big news, coming soon now...

Google are launching a ska band?

[Board Game Geek]

Is there a conspiracy amongst our Soviet Friends to take over the world using "Search Engines" ?

First Sergey Brin (Google), and now our very own dear Alexei is squirreling away, hot on the heels of Google.

It's just too much of a coincidence.

Something's going on.

Alexei, we're on to you !

[DiscoStu]

Originally Posted by AtW

They need to remain competitive for the imminent SKA big news, coming soon now...

It's been coming soon for several years, I think you may be operating in an alternate reality to the rest of us

[threaded]

As someone who has worked on several startups there often comes a time when hubris takes the reins of the company founders and they get this truely bizarre notion that everything will be wonderful with just the permies and they don't need them scummy contractors who always answer back or laugh at their last grand plan.

I like to watch.

It is generally at the 'first peak' of the company, and on the otherside is a slope.

Now, if the founders are smart they reverse their position PDQ and survive, but often it is too late, the slope steepens as the real business knowledge has been lost, often to the competition and the company goes bust. Personally I find it sad to receive the inevitable lawyers letter asking if the company owes me money, when you know if they'd only but listened they'd still be in business.

So many a promising venture is destroyed by the very people who first nutured it, and their hard work is picked up for a song by another that has already taken on board the key contractors. It's like a tired old record. When I see it about to play I look for the end buyer, get in there to offer my services and ensure a good rate is in place for 'Act II'.

[BrilloPad]

Originally Posted by threaded

As someone who has worked on several startups there often comes a time when hubris takes the reins of the company founders and they get this truely bizarre notion that everything will be wonderful with just the permies and they don't need them scummy contractors who always answer back or laugh at their last grand plan.

I like to watch.

It is generally at the 'first peak' of the company, and on the otherside is a slope.

Now, if the founders are smart they reverse their position PDQ and survive, but often it is too late, the slope steepens as the real business knowledge has been lost, often to the competition and the company goes bust. Personally I find it sad to receive the inevitable lawyers letter asking if the company owes me money, when you know if they'd only but listened they'd still be in business.

So many a promising venture is destroyed by the very people who first nutured it, and their hard work is picked up for a song by another that has already taken on board the key contractors. It's like a tired old record. When I see it about to play I look for the end buyer, get in there to offer my services and ensure a good rate is in place for 'Act II'.

WHS

Atw should be recruiting these guys now......

[d000hg]

What a surprise, contractors think of themselves as indispensable. Maybe with companies who hire any old dross they can bring higher skill at a higher cost, but if a company only hires very skilled employees what is the gain?
Google are amongst the toughest to get hired to my knowledge, and they get people who are really dedicated to working.

[Purple Dalek]

Originally Posted by d000hg

What a surprise, contractors think of themselves as indispensable. Maybe with companies who hire any old dross they can bring higher skill at a higher cost, but if a company only hires very skilled employees what is the gain?
Google are amongst the toughest to get hired to my knowledge, and they get people who are really dedicated to working.

Oh do get real. You sound like some sort of HR loon. HR types like to promulgate such bizarre notions. The fact is there are vanishingly few people who are good and permie. A company that has a tough hiring policy tends to end up with permies who are good at getting through tough hiring policies. Contrary to such HR propaganda there are many companies with really slack hiring policies that end up with really good permies.

[Mich the Tester]

Contractors are made expensive by the purchasing departments of their clients, who will only deal with a short list of ‘preferred suppliers’; these preferred suppliers take a huge and often not transparent cut, while killing competition from those who could sell direct and save money for the client while earning more profit, or those agents who are prepared to take a smaller margin.