I don't think Google's company-wide 10% raise starting in 2011 hurt either. Approval ratings aren't as useful, as say compared to something like the US Preside

I don't think Google's company-wide 10% raise starting in 2011 hurt either. Approval ratings aren't as useful, as say compared to something like the US Presidental approval ratings: unhappy employees can easily leave (clearly evidenced by a few recent high-profile HN posts), so only the happy remain.