Fortune
Andreessen Horowitz partner says Google is an ‘amazing example’ of employing people in ‘BS jobs’: ‘Half the white-collar staff probably does no real work’

Eleanor Pringle
Tue, May 7, 2024, 7:24 AM EDT4 min read

Google might be among corporate America's favorite success stories, but some people aren't convinced Big Tech is operating as efficiently as it could be. Indeed, according to one Silicon Valley insider, half the white-collar workers at the tech behemoth aren't even doing "real work."

The idea that Big Tech overhires talent to have them on hand for future projects—and ensure they stay out of the hands of rivals—isn't a new one.

Last year individuals told Fortune they had been "talent penned": hired by technology companies on six-figure salaries "to do nothing" except complete a 10-minute task every now and again. The sources Fortune spoke to said some hires use their weekdays to learn how to scuba dive, while managers told off the candidates for asking too many questions.

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