The man who revolutionized Google’s hiring is joining a handyman startup

Laszlo Bock, former head of human resources at Google
Laszlo Bock, former head of human resources at Google
Image: Getty Images/Neilson Barnard
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Laszlo Bock spent 10 years running human resources at Google, where his innovations helped grow the search engine into a technology giant with more than 60,000 employees.

For his next challenge, Bock’s focus will be more modest. He’ll be a strategic advisor to Thumbtack, a startup with about 500 workers that matches customers with service providers like plumbers and house keepers. The site is similar to Task Rabbit, but with a greater emphasis on skilled professionals.

Founded in 2009, Thumbtack has the backing of prominent venture capital firms like Sequoia Capital, and is on the verge of a major growth spurt. Bock will help the company devise recruiting strategies and serve as a coach and mentor to Thumbtack’s leadership, the company said in a statement.

At Google, Bock streamlined a cumbersome hiring process, aggressively used data to better measure employee performance and helped create the company’s distinct corporate culture, which includes free meals and “Take Your Parents to Work” days. His 2015 book, Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead, became a best seller.

Bock, who left Google in December, will be spending one day a week at Thumbtack, leaving him enough time time to launch his own, yet-to-be-named employment-focused startup.