Laszlo Bock
2x start-up founder --> 2 exits | x-Google SVP of People Operations | NYT bestselling author of “Work Rules!” | Founder/Faculty at Berkeley | Board at Stanford | Advisor/investor
San Francisco Bay Area
1M followers
500+ connections
About
Laszlo is a Senior Advisor at Anthropic, the founder and Co-Director of the Berkeley Transformative CHRO Leadership Academy and a member of the Board of the Stanford Center for the Advanced Study of the Behavioral Sciences. He founded, scaled and sold two companies (most recently to NVIDIA). Before that, he spent a decade as a member of the Executive Management Team at Google where he served as Senior Vice President of People Operations. His best-selling book, Work Rules!, has sold more than 750,000 copies with 100% of his book income donated to charity. He is an active investor and advisor in startups, with 60% of his portfolio companies going on to become unicorns and 85% having become unicorns or been acquired. Finally, he is also a documentary film and Broadway musical producer, with four Tony Award-nominated or -winning productions.
Laszlo was the founder and Chairman of Gretel.ai, the leader in synthetic data for AI (acquired by NVIDIA in 2025). He was also the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Humu, which used “nudges” to make people happier and more productive at work (acquired by Perceptyx in 2023). He has raised more than $150 million in venture capital funding.
From 2006 to 2016, Laszlo was the Senior Vice President of People Operations of Google/Alphabet, and a member of the executive management team. He grew the company from 6,000 to 75,000 employees while ensuring the culture remained innovative and robust. Laszlo co-led the creation of the field of “People Analytics”, the application of academic-quality rigor and Google-paced innovation to people management. He also co-led the development of the Google Job Search API, the only element of Google’s search engine developed outside of Google’s engineering organization. During his tenure, Google was named the #1 Best Company to Work for in the United States seven times as well as recognized over 150 times around the world as an exceptional employer. He was named “HR Executive of the Year”, “HR Executive of the Decade”, and elected to the National Academy of Human Resources. More than 150 of his team members have since become CHROs.
He is a sought-after speaker on workforce topics, AI, leadership and company-building. He has appeared on CNN, the Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR and the BBC; testified before Congress; and been quoted in and written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and Businessweek. He has worked with multiple Presidential Transition Teams and has been called on by various Administrations to provide counsel on workforce-related topics.
Articles by Laszlo
Activity
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Honored to be speaking at the Global Digital Human Resource Transformation & Analytics Conference in Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 I’ll be addressing a topic…
Honored to be speaking at the Global Digital Human Resource Transformation & Analytics Conference in Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 I’ll be addressing a topic…
Liked by Laszlo Bock
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Here are some things I'm doing to support the walkout today. Not saying you should do those things. Just sharing in case you are looking for…
Here are some things I'm doing to support the walkout today. Not saying you should do those things. Just sharing in case you are looking for…
Liked by Laszlo Bock
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1. Over the last six months, I’ve been studying MAGA as a movement, and trying to understand why it has been so successful – and what the Democrats…
1. Over the last six months, I’ve been studying MAGA as a movement, and trying to understand why it has been so successful – and what the Democrats…
Liked by Laszlo Bock
Experience
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Co-Founder and Co-Faculty Director of the Berkeley Transformative CHRO Academy
University of California, Berkeley
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Investor, Coach and Producer
n/a
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Education
Volunteer Experience
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Board Member
Stanford, Center For Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
- Present 1 year 5 months
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Volunteer
Harris for President
- 4 months
Advised on human capital issues. Supported WHOPP on career transition issues.
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Volunteer
Biden-Harris Transition Team
- 6 months
Organized companies to hire campaign staff. Advised on human capital issues.
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Volunteer
Hillary for America
- 8 months
Organized 200 companies to review resumes and hire >1,500 campaign staff. Advised team on human capital issues.
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Commissioner
The Aspen Institute
- 2 years
Education
Served on the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development.
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Skills
Publications
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Excerpt from WORK RULES!
Wired Magazine
See publicationExcerpt from my book entitled "Here's Google's Secret to Hiring the Best People"
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WORK RULES! Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
Twelve Books, a division of Hachette Book Group
See publicationPublication date: April 7, 2015 Available for pre-order now (http://amzn.to/1z6DljS). Named one of the top 15 upcoming business books of 2015 (http://read.bi/1ykl5mS).
"We spend more time working than doing anything else in life. It's not right that the experience of work should be so demotivating and dehumanizing." So says Laszlo Bock, head of People Operations at the company that transformed how the world interacts with knowledge. This insight is the heart of WORK RULES!, a compelling…Publication date: April 7, 2015 Available for pre-order now (http://amzn.to/1z6DljS). Named one of the top 15 upcoming business books of 2015 (http://read.bi/1ykl5mS).
"We spend more time working than doing anything else in life. It's not right that the experience of work should be so demotivating and dehumanizing." So says Laszlo Bock, head of People Operations at the company that transformed how the world interacts with knowledge. This insight is the heart of WORK RULES!, a compelling and surprisingly playful manifesto with the potential to change how we work and live.
Drawing on the latest research in behavioral economics and with a profound grasp of human psychology, Bock also provides teaching examples from a range of industries — including companies that are household names but hideous places to work, and little-known companies that achieve spectacular results by valuing and listening to their employees. Bock takes us inside one of history's most explosively successful businesses to reveal why Google is consistently rated one of the best places to work in the world, distilling 15 years of intensive worker R&D into delightfully counterintuitive principles that are easy to put into action, whether you're a team of one or a team of thousands.
Lessons from WORK RULES! include:
* Take away managers' power over employees
* Only hire people who are smarter than you are, no matter how long it takes to find them
* Pay unfairly (it's more fair!)
* Don't trust your gut: use data to predict and shape the future
* Default to open: be transparent, and welcome feedback
* If you're comfortable with the amount of freedom you've given your employees, you haven't gone far enough
WORK RULES! shows how to strike a balance between creativity and structure, leading to success you can measure in quality of life as well as market share. Read it to build a better company from within rather than from above; read it to reawaken your joy in what you do. -
Excerpt from WORK RULES!
Fortune Magazine
See publicationExcerpt from my book entitled "Google’s 10 things to transform your team and your workplace." This issue of Fortune also announces Google as the "#1 Best Company to Work for" for the 6th time.
Honors & Awards
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Top 100 HR Influencers
HR Executive Magazine
http://hrexecutive.com/top-100/
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Best Leadership Books of All Time
BookAuthority.org
https://bookauthority.org/books/best-leadership-books?t=46ri8q&s=author&book=1455554790
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Entrepreneur's 9 Must Read Books
Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/271992
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#1 Best Translated Book in Japan
Japanese Editors and Translators
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20 Best Business Books of the Year
Business Insider, UK
http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-best-business-books-of-2015-2015-12?sf17803043=1%3Fr%3DUS&IR=T
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Best Books of 2015
Inc. Magazine
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-100-best-business-books-of-2015.html
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Best Business Books of the Year - 2015
Matthew Bishop, Senior Editor of The Economist Group
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-business-books-2015-matthew-bishop
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Book of the Year
The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/top-10-leadership-and-management-books-of-2015/article27767344/
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Top 10 Creative Leadership Books of 2015
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/berlinschoolofcreativeleadership/2015/12/11/top-10-creative-leadership-books-of-2015/
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Top 10 Business Books of the Year
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_boty15_2d
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Top 50 Leadership Innovators
Inc.
http://www.inc.com/shawn-murphy/today-s-top-50-leadership-innovators-changing-how-we-lead.html
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5 Books Your Boss Wishes You Would Read
SimplyHired
http://blog.simplyhired.com/jobsearch/career/books-improve-your-career/
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10 Trechos Dos Melhores Livros de Negocios de 2015
Epoca Negocios
10 Passages from the Best Business Books of 2015 (Portuguese)
http://epocanegocios.globo.com/Inspiracao/Carreira/noticia/2015/03/10-trechos-dos-melhores-livros-de-negocios-de-2015.html -
17 Livres pour Penser la Transformation Numérique du Travail
L'Usine Digital
17 Books for Thinking about the Digital Transformation of Work (French)
http://www.usine-digitale.fr/editorial/17-livres-et-autres-medias-pour-penser-la-transformation-numerique-du-travail.N321548 -
Amazon Editors' Pick of the Month
Amazon.com
Best Business & Leadership Book
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Books-of-the-Month/b/ref=sv_b_8?ie=UTF8&node=390919011 -
New York Times Bestseller
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/advice-how-to-and-miscellaneous/list.html
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Publishers Weekly Bestseller
Publishers Weekly
#7 Bestselling Hardcover Nonfiction
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/nielsen/HardcoverNonfiction.html -
Wall Street Journal Bestseller
Wall Street Journal
#3 Bestelling Hardcover Business Book
#9 Bestselling Overall Hardcover Book
http://www.wsj.com/articles/best-selling-books-week-ended-april-12-1429211261 -
Best Business Books of 2015
Inc.
http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/10-quotes-from-the-best-business-books-of-2015-so-far.html
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HR Professional of the Decade
ERE.net
http://www.ere.net/2015/03/30/revealing-the-hr-professional-of-the-decade-laszlo-bock-of-google/
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26 Books Every Recruiter Should Read
Entelo
http://blog.entelo.com/26-books-every-recruiter-should-read
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New Books for Creative Leaders to Read to Start 2015
Berlin School of Creative Leadership
http://www.berlin-school.com/news-media/blogs/blogentry/new-books-for-creative-leaders-to-read-to-start-2015/
The much-anticipated exploration of new ways of thinking about and behaving at work from the longtime head of Google’s ‘People Operations.’ The result is a manifesto on how to approach work differently in order to attract and grow the best talent – and, in the process for leaders, to grow themselves. -
10 New Books We'll Be Reading this Year
Fast Company
http://www.fastcompany.com/3040972/10-new-books-well-be-reading-this-year
"[U]nconventional and counterintuitive lessons such as taking away managers’ power over employees, why you should pay unfairly, and going beyond your comfort zone when it comes to the freedom you give your team. ' ... It’s not right that the experience of work should be so demotivating and dehumanizing,' Bock says. Right on." -
6 Books that Could Benefit Your Business in 2015
BT Business
http://www.insight.bt.com/en/features/2015-book-recommendations
"WORK RULES! isn’t the first book to shine a light on Google’s hugely successful corporate culture, but it’s the first in-depth look from right inside the company. Indeed, it’s straight from the horse’s mouth: Laszlo Bock is head of Google's people operations .... Why read it? Because it pays to make your company a place that people want to work." -
Editor's Pick: Top Business Books to Read in 2015
The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/11344474/Top-business-books-to-read-in-2015.html
"Google says it receives 1.5m job applications a year. Here, the tech giant's head of 'People Operations' explains why. Laszlo Bock reveals Google's HR secrets to creating a happy workforce and attracting the world's brightest candidates." -
Publisher's Weekly Top 10: Business & Economics
Publisher's Weekly
http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/65381-spring-2015-announcements-business-economics-turning-the-corner.html
"Anecdotes about Google’s founding and history mingle with discussions of management theory, psychology, and behavioral economics to create a fascinating and accessible read." -
The 15 New Books to Read in 2015
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-grant/the-15-new-books-to-read_b_6428688.html
"It's a captivating, data-driven book on achieving sustainable productivity, remarkable innovation, and a genuine sense of community--and an inspiring, actionable vision for transforming the future of work." -
Top Business Books to Read in 2015
Life of an Entrepreneur
https://entrepreneurseries.wordpress.com/tag/work-rules-laszlo-bock/
"Imagine being the HR manager for one of the best companies to work for in the world? How much pressure would you have...? .... Then after that you have to learn how to create an environment that encourages people to grow and increase productivity, all of which can be challenge, but brought together in this richly packed book of data examples." -
15 of the Best Business Books Coming Out in 2015
Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-business-books-of-2015-2014-12#work-rules-insights-from-inside-google-that-will-transform-how-you-live-and-lead-11
"Google has developed a sterling reputation as one of the best places in the world to work, and a good deal of that is due to the efforts of Laszlo Bock, the company's head of People Operations, which is essentially human resources. With the help of recent studies in behavioral economics and psychology, he breaks down the management and…http://www.businessinsider.com/best-business-books-of-2015-2014-12#work-rules-insights-from-inside-google-that-will-transform-how-you-live-and-lead-11
"Google has developed a sterling reputation as one of the best places in the world to work, and a good deal of that is due to the efforts of Laszlo Bock, the company's head of People Operations, which is essentially human resources. With the help of recent studies in behavioral economics and psychology, he breaks down the management and office culture principles that make Google a powerful company with happy employees."
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Editor's Pick: 12 Leadership Books to Watch for in 2015
The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2014/12/04/wp/2014/22/04/12-leadership-books-to-watch-for-in-2015/
"Bock runs a department that’s been described as 'more like a rigorous science lab than the pesky hall monitor most of us picture when we think of H.R.' Bock’s new book examines what he has learned managing H.R. at one of the most generous — and also most data-driven — companies for workers, as well as what is and isn't successful at other places." -
Library Journal Preview
Library Journal
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2014/10/prepub/nonfiction-previews/business-science-social-science-nonfiction-previews-apr-2015-pt-4/
"Billed as LEAN IN for every manager, this is good guidance from the head of Google’s innovative People Operations, who wants to show companies how to attract and keep the best managers. His tips might unsettle .... Love the read-it-two-ways title; with a 200,000-copy first printing." -
Inaugural Donaldson Fellow
Yale University School of Management
https://som.yale.edu/the-som-experience/mission/donaldson-fellows
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10 Most Influential HR Practitioners
https://www.smartrecruiters.com/blog/the-10-most-influential-hr-practitioners/
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Fellow, National Academy of Human Resources
http://www.nationalacademyhr.org/fellowsdirectory
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HR Executive of the Year
http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=533322196
More activity by Laszlo
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Feeling honored to be named to Ragan Communications and PR Daily’s Top Women in HR as a Dynamic Do‑er. This recognition is a reflection of the chance…
Feeling honored to be named to Ragan Communications and PR Daily’s Top Women in HR as a Dynamic Do‑er. This recognition is a reflection of the chance…
Liked by Laszlo Bock
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