ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the practices and activities of Google's People Innovation Lab, the Pilab. It discusses the Lab's history, past projects, how we interact with the broader scientific community, and shares some of the lessons learned along the way. The chapter aims to inspire conversation about a new model for applied social science research as a complement to the existing structures of academia, one with benefits for all involved. When considering the work of a lab, one typically thinks about conducting new and original research. However, one of the PiLab's critical contributions within Google has been connecting Google colleagues with research already out there in the world. Many business challenges, particularly those in Human resources, benefit enormously from insights already available in the literature. The PiLab does not only focus internally, however. Just as we learn from academic researchers and from the practices of other organizations.
