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Netflix Algorithm Tells You When Your Best Employee Is About To Leave You

Posted by timothy on from the time-your-bonuses-accordingly dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Former Netflix data scientist Mohammad Sabah has used the basis of the video-streaming company's movie-recommendation engine to create a new system to predict when valuable employees are likely to leave your company for pastures new. The new application 'Workday Talent Insights' uses the basis of the engine to correlate diverse factors such as interval between promotions and current length of tenure with equivalent job opportunities at employment websites, in order to gauge 'corporate restlessness', and provide options for employers who identify potential leavers."

10 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Managers need an algorithm for that? by Viol8 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    - Have they turned up in a suit one day when they normally where jeans and t-shirt and disappear off for an extra long lunchbreak?
    - Have they started arriving late and leaving early?
    - Do they skip meetings more often?
    - Have they hinted about a payrise in the last assessment?
    - Has their work quality gone off a cliff and they spend most of the day on social media or youtube?

    If YES is the answer to 2 or more of those then yes, probably they're looking to leave.

    1. Re:Managers need an algorithm for that? by fibonacci8 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      - Have they been turned down for a raise when they've demonstrated they're consistently making the company more money than when they were first hired?

      --
      Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
    2. Re:Managers need an algorithm for that? by houghi · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Once I knew people were leaving, I talked to them asking why and then helped them in any way I could.

      I never tried to hold them back. Their decision was taken, so why bother them? If they wanted references, I gave good (and honest) ones to their potential new employer. I also would inform what I would say to the emplyee, so it would be up to them if they wanted to use me or not.

      This would mean in the end that they would be much more willing to do their time with us, which can still be several months (in Belgium). It also would enable me to hire new people who would then be trained by the person leaving.

      When I wanted to leave, I always went to my manager and explained why. They were always happy that I did that and gave positive feedback and helped me with everything I asked for as much as possible.

      One even gave me the address of a company that were looking for what I was looking for (didn't work out).

      Karma goes a long way and there is no reason to burn your bridges.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    3. Re:Managers need an algorithm for that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This, entirely this. Saved a company over half a million dollars(or more) in lost time once by doing something that wasn't even my job only to be told I was not able to get a raise because my title didn't warrant it, oh and I couldn't get a new title. Within 2 years of leaving I'm on the verge of being triple my salary there. If you're not willing to pay someone what they are worth once they've proved their worth, you can bet someone else is.

    4. Re:Managers need an algorithm for that? by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Subtle things like...
      - Not being so darn stubborn when a salesperson sells a 12 month project to be delivered in 3 months.
      - Taking up leave days, even though running behind on schedule.
      - No longer working late or taking work home.
      - Generally being cheerful and somehow more "care free".

      --
      Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
  2. Bah, cue the evil ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Of course what will happen in reality is companies will use this to maximize the amount of shit and abuse they can heap on employees before they actually leave, and ensure that by the time they do you no longer need to care.

    The sociopaths who run corporations don't give a crap about employee retention or loyalty, just grinding them down into compliance.

    There's no fucking way corporations will use this in some enlightened, self-aware attempt to keep employees happy.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  3. conversely. by nimbius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Im sure an easy algorythm can be generated for when management is about to push a valuable employee out the door:

    1. have you turned every change or alteration into a mindless bureaucratic rats nest of meetings and superfluous documentation that could best be handled through email?
    2. Have you allowed the most vocal customers and users to continuously abuse his talent and divert his attention to helpdesk issues that make you look good at his expense?
    3. Have you refused to consider his technical opinion on the design or development of a product or solution and instead just done what the sales rep told you or what would cause the least number of meetings or beurocratic effort?
    4. Have you placed overwhelming reliance on him to micromanage his coworkers changes and projects instead of working to ensure they properly document and communicate instead? did he receive a silent promotion to assitant management?

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  4. Let me help you with adding more time to that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you give an employee an awesome review, but tell him that due to your budget, you can only give a cost of living increase.

    Or here's one the really pissed me off. I was working for a body shop and coming off a contract. The sales/recruiter/commissioned guy asks what kind of rate would I like for the next contract. OK.

    So, I go up to computerjobs, type in my skills, experience, area and find that other W-2 contractors/temps were getting at least $5/hr more than I was. So, that's what I told the sales/recruiter/commissioned guy.

    "That's a pretty big increase."

    Excuse me. THEY are going to bill at market rates so why shouldn't I get market rates? My next contract was with another company that gave me $11/hr more. Yeah, this was in the late nineties - so, keep that in mind.

    Here's another one that kills me.

    You're working 12 hour days and ask your boss about getting more help - and entry level guy. And you explain that it will also develop more talent for the company.

    He says, "No, see we can't get anyone qualified."

    Now, I like getting my ego stroked as well the next guy, but frankly what I was doing wasn't rocket science. Then I overheard the stuff about the minimum ROI they have to make on a developer. That's right, they need to make 45% over your total compensation (salary, benefits, SS payments, etc ...). Some companies it's even more. So, they work you to death, tell you your awesome and that everyone else is too stupid to do what you're doing so, keep working hard you genius. Why hire two developers for when you can get one guy to kill himself?

    All of us were eventually canned and the work sent overseas.

  5. Just connect on linkedin by daveywest · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I pretty much know when cow-irkers are leaving by paying attention to their activity on Linkedin. Employees that are happy aren't polishing up their online resume and padding their community involvement and awards.

  6. Re:How to tell if your top Developers are leaving: by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Haircut, beard trim

    ... not replenishing their Hot Pockets supply in the break-room freezer.