Cover Page

SHRM Splash Screen

Investing in Your Future as an HR Leader

Research Publications
Education

Copyright 2005 by the SHRM Foundation

All rights reserved. No part of this production may be reproduced or transmitted
without permission from the SHRM Foundation.

Title Page

Featuring WAYNE CASCIO,

The SHRM Foundation is pleased to present Fueling the Talent Engine Finding and Keeping
High Performers, a DVD case study and discussion guide about how an integrated talentmanagement strategy helps to provide a competitive edge in todays business environment. The
focus of this case study is Yahoo! Inc., a leading provider of Internet tools, services, and
marketing solutions for businesses in the United States and internationally.
Fueling the Talent Engine Finding and Keeping High Performers builds on the SHRM
Foundations critically acclaimed HR Role Models and HR in Alignment videos about what it
means for HR to be a strategic business leader, and how HR strategy can be aligned with
general business strategy. More than 150 colleges and universities are now using these videos
in their undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs. In addition, hundreds of
SHRM chapters and companies are successfully using them to share the wisdom, insights, and
examples of outstanding HR leaders and their practices in organizations today.

The SHRM Foundation deeply appreciates the support of Yahoo! Inc. executives and staff who
gave so generously of their time to take part in this educational DVD. We extend special
thanks to Heidi Burgett and Libby Sartain from Yahoo!, to Joe Coppoletta and Carlo Gustaff,
whose outstanding direction and film editing brought this DVD to life, and to Myles Throop,
who prepared this discussion guide.
Finally Fueling the Talent Engine - Finding and Keeping High Performers would not have
happened without the inspiration, creativity and hands-on leadership of Wayne Cascio, Ph.D.

SHRM Introduction

TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW.

UNDERSTANDING THE TALENT- STRATEGY FRAMEWORK

12

YAHOO! CASE STUDY.

16

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS...

21

FIVE LESSONS FOR ANY ORGANIZATION...

44

SNAPSHOT PROFILES OF PARTICIPANTS...

50

HRCI CERTIFICATION: YOUR PROFESSIONAL EDGE

64

SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT...

67

SHRM FOUNDATION...

70

OVERVIEW

Introduction
Fueling the Talent Engine Finding and Keeping High Performers examines how an integrated
approach to talent management helps drive business results at Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo has shown its
business acumen by becoming a leader in the online-content market. It has been the focus of
numerous articles and reviews because of its dynamic management and its corporate culture,
which the company actively promotes to attract the best talent.
This video shows what Yahoo! does to become an employer of choice, and what it does to select,
orient, develop, reward, and manage top talent. It shows how senior executives use the concept
of managing talent as a central hub in the firms strategy

Profile of Yahoo! Inc.

Yahoo! Inc. provides Internet services to users and businesses through the Yahoo! Network, and a
range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses in the Unites States and internationally. It
offers an array of communications services, including mail, messenger, calendar, chat, greetings,
clubs, and photos; and various commerce services, such as shopping, auctions, finance, and
travel; as well as content and media-programming services in various areas, including sports,
music, movies, news, and games through partnerships with various content providers.
In addition, the company provides a range of personalized information on wireless devices,
including wireless phones, two-way pagers, and personal digital assistants. Yahoo! also offers a
range of services for businesses and enterprises, including Corporate Yahoo!, an informationportal solution that enables companies to communicate and interact directly with their
employees, customers, and shareholders; Yahoo! Broadcast Services provides Internet audio and
video streaming solutions for corporate and consumer communications; and Yahoo!'s Small
Business services enable small businesses and professionals to establish and grow a business
presence

Profile of Yahoo! Inc.

with various Yahoo! services, as well as Yahoo! Fusion Marketing that unites its media, ecommerce, direct marketing, broadcast, and communication tools. Yahoo! also has strategic
alliances with SBC Communications, Inc.; BT Group plc; Rogers Cable, Inc.; and Verizon
Communications, Inc. The company was founded by David Filo and Jerry Yang in 1994, and it is
headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Yahoo! has approximately 8,700 employees worldwide, and earned revenues of $3.6 Billion in
2004, up from $1.6 Billion in 2003. During the same period, net income rose from $238 Million
to $840 Million. Additionally, Yahoo!s balance sheet grew from $5.9 Billion to $9.2 Billion.

10

Discussion Guide
Wayne Cascio has written an informative list of discussion
questions that can be used with the Yahoo! case study. The
questions follow the topics of the DVD presentation and should
provoke discussion as well as reinforce key insights into how
Yahoo!s strategy works and why HR is such an important partner
in its strategic development and success. The discussion questions
are intended as a starting point from which you can develop a
dialog about the effectiveness of talent-management practices in your own organization.
Wayne Cascio, Ph.D., is recognized as one of the foremost experts in the field of human resource
management. He recently became the first HR leader to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the
University of Geneva, Switzerland for his teaching and research in the HR field. Wayne has consulted
with more than 150 organizations on six continents, and has written 21 books, including best-selling
texts on HR management. Currently he serves on the the Boards of Directors of CPP, Inc., the
Academy of Management, and the SHRM Foundation.

11

UNDERSTANDING THE
TALENT- STRATEGY
FRAMEWORK

12

The Talent-Strategy Framework

2
1

ATTRACT
those you
want

PLAN who
and how
many

3
RECRUIT
the right
people

TALENT
STRATEGY

RETAIN only
those you
want

4
ASSESS
them
correctly/

DEVELOP
them
carefully

Source:GlobalLearningResources

13

The Talent-Strategy Framework

The Fueling the Talent Engine Finding and Keeping High Performers video is based on
understanding how strategic planning and execution work within an organization. Without this
fundamental understanding, it will be very difficult to appreciate how HR strategy is tied to the
overall organizational strategy.
The case study uses the Talent-Strategy Framework model on the previous slide to explain how
strategy works in an organization. Note how the talent-strategy is a circular process that
aggregates six distinct pieces into an overall strategy framework.
1)

PLAN who and how many: An organization must have a plan about where its HR strategy
is going to be leading the company. The HR department must have clear and measurable
goals that are aligned with the overall corporate strategy.

2)

ATTRACT those you want: Once a plan has been determined the HR department must
develop methods to attract the necessary quality and quantity of new hires. The strategies
should highlight the benefits of being an employee at the company.

14

The Talent-Strategy Framework

3)

RECRUIT the right people: In addition to attracting talent, it is often necessary for an
organization to actively recruit new talent. Many highly qualified individuals, which an
organization seeks, may not be looking for a new job, or be otherwise attracted to apply for
a position at you company. These people must be actively and directly recruited.

4)

ASSESS them correctly: Once interest has been generated and there is a steady stream of
applicants, the companys HR department must differentiate between unqualified
candidates, and those who can provide value to the company while being able mesh with the
companys corporate culture.

5)

DEVELOP them carefully: Simply finding talented individuals, and hiring them, is not
sufficient to have highly effective HR tactics. It is rare that an individual, no matter how
qualified, is a perfect fit for a given position. New-hire training is an essential part a talent
strategy. Additionally, as time passes, talent needs of a company will change and the skill
sets of its employees must be updated and developed appropriately.

6)

RETAIN only those you want: Even with extensive selection practices coupled with
training and development programs, HR mistakes happen. It is necessary to continuously
evaluate employees and their motivations. Highly effective employees should be rewarded
while the lowest performers should be removed from the organization.

15

YAHOO! CASE
STUDY

16

Yahoo! Case Study

The Yahoo! Case Study features the following participants:
Wayne Cascio, Ph.D.
Lloyd Braun, Senior Vice President Media
Heidi Burgett, Corporate Communications
Susan Decker, Chief Financial Officer
Loree Farrar, Vice President of Global Rewards
David Filo, Founder
Phu Hoang, Vice President of Engineering
Carol Mahoney, Senior Director of Talent
Ken Perluss, Director of Technical Talent Acquisition
Libby Sartain, Chief People Officer
Stephanie Tate, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager
Cheryl Van, Vice President of Talent Acquisition
Jerry Yang, Founder

17

Summary
The Yahoo! video case study is an ideal educational resource for an undergraduate, graduate, or
executive education program, for HR staff training within companies, and for HR professional
educational seminars and programs. You have several options available for presenting the
Yahoo! case study. Besides the DVD video, we have provided many different slides from which
you can tailor you presentation, if you desire.
One option is to show the DVD first, followed by the PowerPoint slides, included in this
discussion guide, to provide a more in-depth understanding of the company and its business.
After reviewing the profile of Yahoo!, Inc. and discussing the key points of the Talent-Strategy
Framework, consider discussing the question slides with students or HR professionals. We have
used this approach successfully with graduate business students.
A second option might be more appropriate in an undergraduate HR course. For students with
little work experience, strategic HR alignment in the recruitment and retention of talent is a
difficult concept to grasp. Some students are not exactly sure which elements of strategy and HR
talent initiatives must be in aligned. Students probably understand that aligning HR strategy with

18

Summary

corporate strategy is a good thing, but they may be uncertain of the payback potential that
effective talent management will provide. The Yahoo! case study provides an excellent example
of a high-performing company where a focus on talent management pays off in results.
As a way to set the stage for the DVD case study, you may want to start with a few PowerPoint
slides to introduce the company, what it does, and to provide a quick overview of what talent
management means. It would be helpful to walk through the Talent-Strategy Framework slide.
After this brief introduction, show the DVD. Then engage the class in a discussion of what
Yahoo! did that they thought contributed to effective talent management and what more they
could do in the future. You can select from the questions that follow to clarify what Yahoo! does.
You may want to discuss how recruiting, selection, training and individual performance
management contribute to talent management and alignment. These are all important issues in an
HR course.

19

Summary

You might want to ask other questions such as: How does the company gain from achieving
strategic HR alignment through its talent management practices? What are the obstacles that
make the achievement of effective talent management practices difficult? What must HR
measure to achieve effective talent management practices? How would students like to work for
Yahoo!? Why dont more companies have the types of talent management strategies that Yahoo!
has?
The Yahoo! case study will certainly stimulate discussion and challenge students whether they
are in an HR or business program, as well as HR professionals, to think through the benefits of
HR talent strategies being aligned with the overall organizational strategy, and how to achieve
effective talent management strategies.

20

DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS

21

Q.
A
.

What does talent management

mean, and how is it viewed at
Yahoo!?

Talent management means considering an employees

talents during hiring, as well as that employees career
development; and analyzing why people leave a company.
Yahoo considers talent management to be central to its
corporate strategy.

22

Q.
A
.

How is talent incorporated into the

Yahoo! business model?

Yahoo!s business model is one in which constant

innovation is necessary. The philosophy of the company
is around great products, ultimately equaling great
business. Yahoo! promotes a culture where emphasis is
placed on high performance, and high performance is
actively rewarded.

23

Q.
A
.

How does Lloyd Braun, SVP of

Media, describe outsiders reactions
to Yahoo!s corporate culture?

Lloyd explains that when talking to his friends in the

traditional media business, within two or three minutes
they are saying Ive never heard you like this, Ive never
seen you like this. Like theyre ready to join right then
and there. Even people who are not employees of Yahoo!
are easily affected by the energy that they see and feel in
the culture of Yahoo!; it is this energy that helps the
company to attract and retain highly qualified individuals.
24

Q.
A
.

How does Lloyd Braun illustrate

the statement, Its important to go
to work at a place where youre
connected to a dream?

Lloyd explains that it is the passion he feels for his job at

Yahoo! that drives him to do his best every day. He says,
Thats very much what has always fueled my career. At
Yahoo! it is the collective passion that all of the employees
feel that helps to motivate everyone, and that drives
product development and improvement.

25

Q.
A
.

What does a systematic process of

managing talent imply?

Managing talent doesnt just happen, rather its a

systematic process that includes targeted recruitment and
retention programs, along with policies that encourage
career growth and development opportunities, reward
effective performance, and build a deep reservoir of
successors at every level.

26

Q.
A
.

What are some of the premium

services, for which Yahoo!s
customers pay?

Yahoo!s business model provides services to most users at

no fee; for example, Yahoo! Mail. But Yahoos
profitability is based on its for-pay services, these include
Yahoo! Personals, a dating-subscription service, Yahoo!
Music, where people pay for music downloads, and a wide
range of small-business hosting services.

27

Q.
A
.

In 2004 Yahoo!s sales increased 120%,

while its net profit increased 253%. How
did Yahoo!s business model provide for
such dramatic growth?

Yahoo!s business model is deceptively simple. The more

time that users spend with Yahoo, the more advertising it
can sell, and the greater the likelihood that someone will
pay for premium service or content. Today Yahoo counts
nearly half a billion users in twenty-five countries and
thirteen languages.

28

Q.
A
.

How has Yahoo! managed talent

during its high growth?

Sue Decker explains that many companies falter during a

growth stage because they fail to manage talent properly;
they fail to realize that they need to attract different kinds
of people at different stages. Yahoo! recognized this from
the very beginning, and has developed policies around
identifying and nurturing current talent, as well as
developing succession plans to maintain a high level of
employee competency.
29

Q.
A
.

How does Yahoo! differentiate

itself so that prospective
employees will want to work
there?

Libby Sartain, Chief People Officer, explains one way in

which employees at Yahoo! find their work to be
rewarding. At many companies an employee can work on
a project but never see it through to fruition, nor ever see
the results of their own actions. At Yahoo! the effects of a
newly developed product can be seen immediately when
the product is released on the Internet. I can see that Ive
put it up on the site today, and 2 million people used it
tonight.
30

Q.
A
.

What does Carol Mahoney, Senior

Director of Talent, mean when she
refers to talent magnets?

In addition to job applicants that seek out Yahoo!, Yahoo!

is always looking for passive candidates. The talent
magnets help with this effort; they are employees who are
very well known in their fields. These magnets contact
individuals who could potentially provide value to Yahoo!,
but who have not applied for a job. The magnets
contact these people directly by email, or by hosting
informal talks.
31

Q.
A
.

What does it mean to have an

integrated talent management
strategy?

An integrated talent management strategy begins by

identifying workforce needs, attracting and recruiting the
kinds of people who fit those needs, assessing their skills,
knowledge, and values, developing them, managing their
performance, and ultimately retaining those you want to
keep.

32

Q.
A
.

How does Yahoo! Promote the idea

that high performance is valued?

Ken Perluss, Director of Talent Programs, says that it is so

important to Yahoo! to have a job done correctly, that the
company would rather leave a position unfilled than hire
someone who whose performance is not up to the
standards that the company requires. This implies that
Yahoo! employees belong to an elite club, a club of which
they are proud to be members.
33

Q.
A
.

How do Yahoo!s business model

and corporate culture reward
successful employees?

Yahoos structure is different from that of many global

companies because its employees are able to see the
effects of their efforts; they can see a direct connection
between their hard work and the success of the company,
and the furthering of Yahoos social goals. Phu Hoang, VP
of Engineering, says, its about getting close to fulfilling
something wonderful for society that I think attracts a lot
of people.
34

Q.
A
.

How does Yahoo! instill its

corporate culture in new hires?

Lloyd Braun says that on his first day he was taken under
the wing of human resources, meeting with various people
who taught him the business. The order of the presentation
was so smart they were laying building blocks both in
terms of people to meet and what they did, and then in terms
of what the company did. By making a concerted effort to
have a formal orientation for new hires, Yahoo! aides their
ability to become productive employees quickly.
35

Q.
A
.

According to Phu Hoang, VP of

Engineering, how is managing
brilliant people different from
managing others?

Yahoo!s business model requires constant innovation. The

people that Yahoo! hires have immense talent to come up
with that innovation; things that you cant think of, thats
why you want them in here. Phu explains that the types of
people that drive Yahoo! would not perform well if the
company did not give them enough freedom. At Yahoo!,
brilliant employees are guided toward the corporate
vision, then given free reign to find the best path to that
goal.
36

Q.
A
.

How has the scope of the jobs of

Yahoo!s employees changed as the
company has grown?

Early in an entrepreneurial situation there are few

employees who must perform many varied job functions.
As Yahoo! grew, jobs became more specialized and the
company transitioned to employees with more vertical
expertise. Today Yahoo! employs many very specialized
and highly regarded people. Sue Decker says, people are
getting to work with stars in their areas we have some of
the nations leaders in all [functional] areas.
37

Q.
A
.

Aside from a healthy corporate

culture, how does Yahoo! reward its
employees?

Yahoo has developed a benefits package that includes equity

ownership of the company. Employees are given stock
options, and, in addition, they can participate in an
employee stock-purchase plan. This allows employees to
share in the success of the company, and it provides a real
sense of ownership.
38

Q.
A
.

How does the Yahoo! Superstar

program reward employees and
show that they are valued?

Loree Farrar, VP of Global Rewards, says that the Yahoo!

Superstar program allows employees to nominate each
other for an award when they do something exceptional. A
small number of employees win every year, and theyre all
flown to the United States to have dinner with the
executives. Each of the winners is also given a significant
cash prize.
39

Q.
A
.

What does Yahoo! do to address the

future talent needs of the company?

Studies have shown that it is not enough for a company to

simply find the right talent. Even after being hired, talent
management is still necessary. At Yahoo!, post-hiring talent
management takes the form of a performance management
system that gives each employee a career-development plan
that tells them what they specifically need to work on.
40

Q.
A
.

How does Libby Sartain, Chief

People Officer, view turnover?

Every company has turnover, but not all companies

effectively analyze and manage their turnover. Libby
Sartain segments the turnover at Yahoo! into voluntary,
regrettable turnover, and involuntary or unregrettable
turnover. By having a regrettable-turnover goal of less than
5% annually, Yahoo has created a program that anticipates,
manages and reduces the loss of essential talent.
41

Q.
A
.

How does Yahoo!s corporate

culture reduce turnover?

By giving employees freedom in their work activities,

Yahoo! has created a situation where employees are able
continuously to create new challenges for themselves. This
reduces repetitiveness and increases job satisfaction. Lloyd
Braun says, they dont have to leave in order to get
challenges and opportunities. Yahoo!s managers excite
employees with the corporate vision, but individual
employees are able to redirect their own energies and to
work on new challenges in reaching that vision.
42

With the increasing competitiveness

in business today, what are the
implications for talent management
in the near future?

Q.
A
.

Wayne Cascio explains that in todays global, fast-moving

business environment, the only way to outrun the
competition is through innovation, and that means having
people who make things happen. What this implies is that
the wise management of talent is no longer just a
competitive advantage, its a competitive necessity.
43

FIVE LESSONS FOR

ANY ORGANIZATION

44

Lesson 1

Make talent management a top

priority in your organization.
Recognize that you can have a brilliant strategy, but without the
talent to execute it, it will never materialize.

45

Lesson 2

Develop a comprehensive
approach, as well as a
commitment to track,
develop, reward, and keep
top talent.
46

Lesson 3

Ensure that HR plays a

strategic role.
HR should be anticipating trends in the outside environment that
affect the management of talent in your company, such as
demographic, labor market, or social trends, and it should be
identifying their implications with respect to the ability of your
company to execute its strategy.

47

Lesson 4

Develop a well-crafted story

that describes your
companys mission and
Your employees must values.
have a clear idea of what your company
stands for. You must live those values every day, and make sure
that everyone from the mail-room to the board-room does too.
Does your story get people excited to come to work each day?

48

Lesson 5

Understand why people

join your company, why
they stay, and why some
of them leave.
Develop an action plan to accentuate the positives and
minimize the negatives.

49

SNAPSHOT PROFILES OF
PARTICIPANTS IN
FUELING THE TALENT
ENGINE:
FINDING AND KEEPING HIGH
PERFORMERS
50

Lloyd Braun
Lloyd Braun is Head of Yahoo! Media Group. Braun joined
Yahoo! in November 2004 as head of the Yahoo! Media Group. In
this role, he oversees all creative and business aspects of Yahoo!'s
content properties, including music, games, movies, television,
entertainment, finance, news, weather, sports, health, education
and kids.
Prior to joining the company, Braun served as Chairman of ABC
Entertainment Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company, a position he held
from January 2002 until April 2004. He served as Co-Chairman of the division from July 1999.
In this position, Braun had responsibility for all creative, programming and business areas of the
division, which encompassed Touchstone Television and ABC Entertainment. During his tenure
with the ABC Entertainment Television Group, Braun initiated and oversaw the development of
such successful programs as "Alias", "Lost", "Desperate Housewives", "Grey's Anatomy",
"Extreme Makeover", "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Boston Legal". At the same
time, he shepherded Touchstone Television into one of Hollywood's top suppliers of series
programming.

51

Heidi Burgett
Heidi Burgett manages Internal Communications for Yahoo!.
Heidi is responsible for managing the companys intranet,
internal branding, executive speech writing, acquisition
integration communication, and corporate messaging.
Additionally, Heidi provides public relations strategy and
execution on a variety of key issues. In 2004, Heidi was
recognized as a Yahoo! Super Star, the companys highest
honor. Prior to Yahoo!, Heidi managed Internal Communications
for UPS. Heidi holds both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in
Communication from the University of Colorado.

52

Wayne Cascio
Wayne is the US Bank Term Professor of Management at the
University of Colorado and Health Sciences Center. He is a
world-renowned scholar, author and teacher. His paper on
Responsible Restructuring was named the most outstanding
research paper in 2003 by the Academy of Management
Executive. Wayne is a member of the SHRM Foundation board
of directors, and past president both of the HR Division of the
Academy of Management, and of the Society for Industrial and
Organizational Psychology (SIOP).
He has published 21 books on human resources including Applied Psychology in Human
Resources Management (6th ed, 2005) and Managing Human Resources (7th ed, 2006). He
currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Management, as well as CPP,
Inc. He actively shares his HR management knowledge through speaking engagements and
consulting activities, and he has been recognized for his dynamic teaching style in Executive and
11-month MBA programs at the University of Colorado.

53

Susan Decker
A key member of Yahoo!'s executive team, Susan L. Decker is
Yahoo!'s chief financial officer and executive vice president of
finance and administration. In this role, Decker is a key participant
in determining Yahoo!'s business strategy, and is also responsible
for managing and setting all aspects of the company's financial
and administrative direction within key functional areas, including
finance, human resources, legal, and investor relations. Decker
reports to chairman and chief executive officer, Terry Semel.
Prior to joining Yahoo! in June 2000, Decker was with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) for
14 years. Most recently, she served as the global director of equity research, a $300 million
operation, where, among other things, she was responsible for building and staffing a non-U.S.
research product based on global sector teams.
Decker holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts University, with a double major in
computer science and economics, and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard
Business School. She also received the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst in 1989 and
served on the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC) for a four-year term,
from January 2000 to January 2004. Decker was appointed to the board of directors of Costco
Wholesale in October 2004 and of Pixar Animation Studios in June 2004.

54

Loree Farrar
Loree Farrar is Vice President, Global Rewards, at Yahoo! Before
joining Yahoo!, Loree was Director of Compensation, Benefits,
and HRIS at Portal Software, and has also worked at StorageTek
in Boulder, Colorado, and The Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo,
Michigan. Loree holds a Bachelors degree in Folklore and
Mythology from Harvard, and an MBA and Masters in Social
Work from Columbia.

55

David Filo
David Filo is Co-founder of Yahoo!, and holds the position of
Chief Yahoo. David, a native of Moss Bluff, La., co-created the
Yahoo! Internet navigational guide in April 1994 with Jerry Yang
and co-founded Yahoo! Inc. in April 1995. Filo serves as a key
technologist, directing the technical operations behind the
company's global network of Web properties. He is credited with
helping build Yahoo! into the world's most highly trafficked Web
site and one of the Internet's most recognized brands. Filo holds a
B.S. degree in computer engineering from Tulane University and
an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Stanford
University. He is currently on a leave of absence from Stanford's
electrical engineering Ph.D. program.

56

Phu Huang
Phu Hoang is Senior Vice-President, Engineering, at Yahoo!. Phu
manages the engineering teams for the Search and Marketplace,
Media, Entertainment, Information, Finance and Hotjobs business
units. He currently oversees product strategy, research and
development for Yahoos Search platform. He joined Yahoo! in
February 1996. Previous to his current position, Hoang held
various roles at Yahoo! in the engineering, product and business
management areas, including serving as general manager of
Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions. He holds a B.S. degree
in electrical engineering from University of Maryland, College Park, and M.S. and Ph. D.
degrees in electrical engineering from University of California, Berkeley.

57

Carol Mahoney
Carol Mahoney is Director, Talent Acquisition, at Yahoo!. Prior
to joining Yahoo!, Carol held various positions at Intuit Inc., ProQuest Inc., Synopsys Inc, Digital Equipment Corporation, and
Advanced Micro Devices, among others. Carol holds a Bachelor
of Arts degree in English, from Santa Clara University

58

Ken Perluss
Ken Perluss is Director, Technical Talent Acquisition, at Yahoo!.
Ken has spent the past eight years managing Yahoo!s technical
recruiting efforts. Before joining Yahoo!, Ken spent four years at
Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) during the companys extensive
growth period. Ken previously spent nearly eight years as a
retained search and contingency recruiter. Born and raised in San
Francisco, Ken graduated from University of California-Davis a
really, really long time ago.

59

Libby Sartain
Libby Sartain is Senior Vice President, Human Resources and
Chief People Yahoo. With more than 25 years of experience in
human resource management, Libby Sartain is responsible for
leading Yahoo! Inc.'s global human resources efforts and
managing and developing the human resources team. She also
focuses on attracting, retaining, and developing Yahoo!'s
employees who promote and strengthen the company culture, as
well as represent the powerful Yahoo! brand.
Prior to joining Yahoo! in August 2001, Sartain was "vice president of people" at Southwest
Airlines. An employee of Southwest Airlines since 1988, Sartain managed a staff of 300 and led
all human resources functions at the airline, including employment, training, benefits and
compensation. She also played a key role in developing an employment brand strategy, which
helped double employee growth in six years.
Sartain also served as chairman of the Society for Human Resource Management and was named
fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources. Sartain holds a B.A. degree in business
administration at Southern Methodist University and received her M.B.A. from the University of
North Texas.

60

Stephanie Tate
Stephanie Tate is Sr. Talent Acquisition Manager, for the Search
and Marketplace Group at Yahoo!. Stephanie has been at Yahoo!
for 2 years. Prior to Working at Yahoo!, she was an HR
Manager for a start-up, HR Generalist for IDC, and had a stint in
Market Research for Synopsys. She also has worked in film as a
scenic artist in Hollywood. Stephanie attend UC Santa Cruz and
has a certificate in HR Management

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Cheryl Van
Cheryl Van is Vice President, Talent Acquisition, at Yahoo! and is
responsible for helping to create a more efficient process of talent
acquisition and development at Yahoo! Prior to joining Yahoo!,
Cheryl was the Vice President of Human Resources at Critical
Path. Previous to Critical Path, she served as the Vice President
of Employment and Development at Visa International. Cheryl
holds Bachelors degrees in Communication Studies and
Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and
a Masters of Human Resources and Organization Development
from the University of San Francisco.

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Jerry Yang
Jerry Yang is Co-founder of Yahoo!, Chief Yahoo and also a
Director. Jerry Yang, a Taiwanese native raised in San Jose,
Calif., co-created the Yahoo! Internet navigational guide in April
1994 with David Filo and co-founded Yahoo! Inc. in April 1995.
Yang, a leading force in the media industry, has been instrumental
in building Yahoo! into the world's most highly trafficked Web
site and one of the Internet's most recognized brands. A member
of Yahoo!'s board of directors, Yang works closely with the
company's president and CEO to develop corporate business
strategies and to guide the future direction of the company. Yang
holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from
Stanford University and is currently on a leave of absence from
Stanford's electrical engineering Ph.D. program.

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HRCI CERTIFICATION:
YOUR PROFESSIONAL EDGE

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HRCI Certification
The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) is the credentialing organization founded by
the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to promote the establishment of
professional standards both domestically and globally. HRCI recognizes HR professionals who,
through demonstrated professional experience and the passing of a comprehensive exam, have
met HRCIs requirements for mastering the HR body of knowledge.
HRCI offers two levels of professional certification: the Professional in Human Resources
(PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Both exams are generalist (i.e.,
they assess the functional areas of the HR field) but differ in terms of focus and the cognitive
level of questions. PHR questions tend to be at an operations/technical level. SPHR questions
tend to be at the strategic and/or policy level.
In 2004, HRCI offered the first international certification examination for HR professionals
working in organizations with facilities and employees around the globe. The Global
Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) meets a major need in the profession today as more
U.S. based HR practitioners have multinational accountability.

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HRCI Certification

The GPHR exam assesses a candidates knowledge of:

Strategic HR management
Organizational effectiveness and employee development
Global Staffing
International assignment management
Global compensation and benefits
International employee relations and regulations
PHR, SPHR, and GPHR certifications demonstrate a mastery of HR knowledge. Certification
examinations are now computer based, which provides immediate preliminary results. Testing
windows are held twice a year, in the spring and then again in the fall.
Today, over 60,000 HR professionals have either SPHR or PHP certification after their names.
For more information, please visit the HRCI Web site: www.hrci.org.

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SOCIETY FOR HUMAN

RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

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HR: Leading People, Leading Organizations

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the worlds largest
association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than
200,000 individual members, the Societys mission is to serve the needs of
HR professionals by providing the most essential and comprehensive
resources available.
As an influential voice, the Societys mission is also to advance the human
resource profession by giving HR professionals tools to be business leaders,
such as executive education programming with prestigious business school
partners, SHRM Academy courses in business education, the SHRM Foundation video series,
Quarterly Research reports, the HR Competency Toolkit, International Certification, and much
more. The Society also works to build recognition in the business community about the role HR
plays in organizational success.

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HR: Leading People, Leading Organizations

SHRM serves the professional by providing HR professionals with ready

access to the latest information and trends through SHRM Online Web casts
and content, HR Magazine, SHRM white papers, research surveys and the
SHRM Information Center, which received more than 125,000 calls last year.
Founded in 1948, SHRM currently has more than 500 affiliated chapters
within the United States and members in more than 100 countries. For more
information visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.

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SHRM FOUNDATION

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SHRM FOUNDATION
The SHRM Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organizational affiliate of the Society for Human Resource
Management. Since 1998, the SHRM Foundation has
focused on HR as a strategic business leader. It advances
the profession and increases the effectiveness of HR
professionals through research, innovation and researchbased knowledge.
The SHRM Foundation funds strategic research in the areas of HR Measurement and HR
metrics, the Impact of Technology, Global HR and the Changing role of the HR Professional.
Instructions for submitting a grant proposal (for up to $50,000) are available on the SHRM
Foundation website (www.shrm.org/foundation).
The SHRM Foundation board of directors reviews proposals three times each year (March, June,
and November). Twelve research projects are currently underway. More than 85% of SHRM
Foundation research projects completed since 1998 have resulted in a published article, book, or
major conference presentation.

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SHRM FOUNDATION

In addition, the SHRM Foundation funds the

dissemination of research based knowledge through
books, videos, DVDs, and innovative educational
initiatives such as SHRM Masters Series, Thought
Leaders retreat and scholarships.
The SHRM Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board
of Directors, comprised of distinguished HR academic
and practice leaders. Contributions to the SHRM
Foundation are
tax deductible. For more information, please visit the SHRM Foundation web site:
www.shrm.org/foundation.

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