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Comment by jnaddef | Hacker News Reader

Reading you it looks like Google does not hire anyone.

Google is a tech company, it is perfectly natural for them to have contractors when it comes to people working in the cafes for example, because training or interviewing cooks will be done better in a company actually focused on training and interviewing cooks.

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It hasn’t always been that way. Companies use to hire their own janitors and cooks. If a school system can figure out how to hire teachers, principals, custodians, electricians, bus drivers, cooks, etc. I’m sure all of the smart people at Google can.

and cooks

Once upon a time, Google treated such contributors well:

https://blog.rongarret.info/2011/11/in-defense-of-google-che...

It’s easy for us to lose our way, but requires much effort to find our way back.

I don't know how long ago you are talking about, but I am pretty sure nowadays most schools go through contractors too for cooks and janitors (I actually did not go to school in the US so correct me if I am wrong)

Right in Mountain View, CA.

Cooks:

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/food-service-worker-i-at-...

Custodians:

https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/substitute-custodian-m...

but its not just cooks. It is software test engineers, Devops engineers, front end developers, ux designers, desktop support, technical recruiters, receptionists, admins, content moderators, search raters, map verification specialists, language translators - many of these are core to any tech company- the only thing common is that they are available more easily and can be paid less as contractors or h1b consultants

Hi. I've done (software engineering) contract work for Google. Sure they can replace me; and I can replace them. I like this situation just fine. I don't want to be an employee.

But Google takes it to an extreme -- roughly half[0] of their personnel are contractors.

[0] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-25/inside-go...

Those companies could be subsidiaries of Google. It could operate independently with its own P&L.It could share services such as Payroll, IT and Finance.

This is essentially Google saying, these companies are operating too efficiently and must increase costs to continue operating inside of Google.

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