Former Googler on how tech giant squandered employee trust — and how Sundar Pichai can gain it back

PRODUCTIVITY A small tech company tried it all to stop employee turnover. Only one thing worked  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE FRI, DEC 13, 2019 TECH, TRANSFORMATION AND THE FUTURE OF WORK EDITOR'S NOTE Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. It's Friday the 13th, and there was bad luck for some prominent employers today. Glassdoor's 100 Best Places to Work in 2020 list just came out, and some notable companies fell out of the Top 10: Facebook and Google, two companies that were the places to work for many in the tech world, what with a laundry list of perks, iconic and visionary leaders and great pay. Now, however, they're laden with political missteps, culture crises, data mishandling and more. And for Google, this comes as founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are relinquishing control, handing the reins over to Sundar Pinchai. Googlers are demanding a culture change, the question is, will this big change provide one? In a commentary from former Googler and current CEO of employee experience platform Kazoo, Paul Pellman explores how employee trust at Google was "squandered" so quickly, and the learning opportunities it presents for the countless companies facing this very issue. How do employees rally behind companies going through change, and how do leaders keep employees motivated when change is inevitable, and political scrutiny is just a part of everyday life? Read the 4 strategies on creating a lasting culture. KEY STORIES PRODUCTIVITY A small tech company tried it all to stop employee turnover. Only one thing worked Employee turnover is highest in the technology sector. The median tenure, even at the biggest tech firms, can be as little as one year. The CEO of a small IT services firm learned that lots of free work perks, like beer on tap, would not solve the problem; accepting turnover was better than fighting it. CAPITAL California's new employment law that boomeranged California's new AB 5 employment law takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, and freelancers are already feeling the squeeze with a decline in business and income. TALENT How to build a diverse board Six tips from the CEOs of Ripple, SurveyMonkey and Upwork Ann from TechCrunch. VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Snowflake CEO on Silicon Valley valuations and the race for tech talent JOIN US @Work Summit 2020 Technology, Transformation and the Future of Work Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation, along with demographic changes, are leading to big shifts in today's workforce. These developments will also fundamentally change the relationship between employers and their workforce and require a reimagining of the workplace. CNBC's @Work event taps the unrivaled expertise and connections of CNBC's journalists to examine the impact of new technology on three different disciplines— human resources, IT and finance. REQUEST AN INVITATION CNBC EVENTS CNBC Events @CNBCEVENTS Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel   Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy CNBC Events   © 2019 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS