[joeframbach]

I'm of the opinion that over-hiring was a strategic move to make hiring more expensive for competitors. Look up those popular profit-per-employee lists that circulate now and then. Spending $1 to make hiring $1 more expensive for your competition makes business sense. And even if Bob and Sue and Jim and Alice have redundant roles in the company, that's three competitors who couldn't fill that role. Does Google _really_ need a South Lake Union office location? Probably not, the entire building is likely redundant. But it siphons talent from the neighbors.