When Laszlo Bock joined Google as CHRO in 2006, he inherited a hiring system built on pedigree. Candidates arrived with dossiers detailing their achievements, grades and SAT scores. The company, like most elite employers, assumed these credentials predicted success.
However, Bock thought they were wrong.
“By focusing on pedigree, we are missing out on a ton of people,” Bock said during a recent session at The Human Resources Policy Institute (HRPI) at Boston University’s 2025 Fall Summit.
That realization marked a turning point not only for Google but for how many leading organizations think about talent. What followed was an experiment in using data to challenge some of HR’s most deeply held assumptions about hiring.
Instead of relying on traditional markers of achievement, Bock shared that Google’s team analyzed more than 300 variables to predict employee performance. The approach represented a shift from credentials to capabilities, from what people had achieved in the past to what they could actually do.
The results challenged conventional wisdom about what makes someone successful, according to Bock. Practical skills assessments, which ask candidates to demonstrate actual job skills rather than discuss hypothetical scenarios or present credentials, emerged as the strongest predictor.
“Work sample tests are good,” Bock noted, pointing to research from MIT on AI interpretation that demonstrated how practical demonstrations of skill outperform traditional assessment methods.
Bock said that structured interviews, where every candidate answers the same questions in the same order, consistently outperformed unstructured conversations. The findings aligned with research from McKinsey and other organizations studying hiring effectiveness.
IQ tests, while seemingly objective, proved too exclusionary and failed to capture the full picture of potential.
“An IQ test is not as clear; it excludes too much,” Bock explained. The tests might measure certain cognitive abilities, but they systematically screened out talented people who could excel in the role.
Read more: What does it take to be a transformative CHRO?
Preparing the next generation of CHROs
Now a co-leader at the Berkeley Transformative CHRO Leadership Program, Bock works with future chief human resources officers to prepare them for a data-driven world. The program recognizes that HR leadership requires different skills than it did even a decade ago.
Tomorrow’s CHROs need to understand technology, interpret data and challenge conventional wisdom. They must be willing to test long-held assumptions about hiring, development and retention. The implications extend far beyond hiring. Bock’s work at Google demonstrates how data-driven decision-making can transform human resources from an administrative function to a strategic one that drives business results.
The key is starting with clear questions about what actually predicts success in your environment. Generic best practices matter less than understanding your specific context. Bock said HR leaders should ask themselves: What are we measuring? Why? And most importantly, are we measuring the right things?
The bigger picture
The shift from pedigree-based hiring to data-driven selection represents more than a change in talent acquisition technique. It’s a fundamental rethinking of how organizations identify and develop their workforce.
When Bock says, “by focusing on pedigree we are missing out on a ton of people,” he’s pointing to both a business problem and an equity issue. Organizations that rely on traditional credentials limit their talent pools and perpetuate existing inequalities. Those willing to look beyond pedigree discover capable people others overlook.
As Bock’s work demonstrates, when HR leaders focus on variables that truly predict success, they improve hiring and enhance overall organizational performance. They open doors for talented people, build more diverse teams and create a competitive advantage through superior talent decisions.
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