(4) THE ENVOLVING/STRATEGIC ROLE OF HUMAN RESOUCE MANAGEMENT

STRATEGIC HR AT YAHOO

SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1994. YAHOO HAS GROWN TO 8700 EMPLOYEES, WITH $3.6 BILLION IN
ANNUAL REVENUE AND $840 MILLION IN ANNUAL PROFIT. WITH A MISSION OF BEING THE MOST
ESSENTIAL GLOBAL INTERNET SERVICE FOR BOTH CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES, YAHOO HAS BEEN A
MAGNET FOR JOB APPLICANTS WHO SEEK TO WORK IN A DYNAMIC, HIGH-GROWTH ORGANIZATION
WITH A LAUDED COMPANY CULTURE. YAHOO’S APPROACH TO HR IS THE UTILIZATION OF A SIX-
FACETED CIRCULAR TALENT MANAGEMENT PROCESS WHICH FUELS THE ORGANIZATION’S STRATEGY
AND PERFORMANCE.

THE FIRST DIMENSION IS PLANNING THE TYPE AND NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES YAHOO NEEDS. WITH THE
GOAL OF BEING AN EMPLOYER CHOICE AND ACQUIRING TOP TALENT FASTER AND BETTER THAN ITS
COMPETITORS, THE PLANNING FUNCTION WORKS CONTINUOSLY IN TANDEM WITH THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE ORGANIZATION’S STRATEGY.

THE SECOND DIMENSION IS ATTRACTING DESIRABLE EMPLOYEES. YAHOO USES IT GROWTH TO

PERSUADE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES THAT ITR HAS THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE CONSTANTLY CHANGING
AND ENVOLVING CAREER PATHS. YAHOO HAS BRANDED ITSELF IN THE MARKETPLACE TO CONJURE UP
IMAGES OF FREE-THINKERS AND TALENTED TECHNICIANS.

THE THIRD DIMENSION IS RECUITING POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES. BECAUSE THE DEMAND FOR TALENT IN
THE MARKET IN WHICH YAHOO ENGAGES OFTEN EXCEEDS SUPPLY, QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
NOT ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A JIB MUST BE RECRUITED. YAHOO USES SOME OF ITS HIGH-PROFILE
NETWORKED EMPLOYEES AS “TALENT MAGNETS” WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FPR DIRECTLY RECRUITING
INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION. CURRENT EMPLOYEES ARE ALSO PROVIDED BONUSES
FOR RECRUITING NEW EMPLOYEES.

THE FOURTH DIMENSION IS ASSESSING QUALIFICATIONS OF JOB APPLICANTS. HERE, YAHOO ATTEMPTS
TO DETERMINE WHO CAN ADD VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY FITTING WITH
THE ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE. TO DETERMINE THE LATTER, EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWING IS UTILIZED,
WITH AN AVERAGE OF 12 HOURS OF INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED FOR EACH NEW HIRE.

THE FIFTH DIMENSION IS DEVELOPING EMPLOYEES TO ENSURE THAT THE SKILLS SETS OF EMPLOYEES
ARE UPDATED AND DEVELOPED IN TANDEM WITH THE ENVOLVING TALENT NEEDS OF THE
ORGANIZATION.

FINALLY, THE SIXTH DIMENSION IS RETAINING TOP PERFORMERS. HERE, YAHOO ENSURES THAT THE
EMPLOYEES ARE CONTINUOUSLY MOTIVATED BY THEIR WORK AND COMPENSATED ACCORDINGLY.
EVEN THOUGH THESE SIX DIMENSIONS OF TALENT MANAGEMENT FORM A SEQUENCE OF HUMAN
RESOURCE ACTIVITIES, THEY ARE NOT DLEIVERED SEQUENTIALLY. IN A STRATEGIC MINDSET. THE
PROCESSES ARE FLUID AND ALL OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY AND CONTINUOUSLY.