Google and P&G Share Staff

Access to full article requires WSJ Subscription. I agree about the vastly different cultures.

Google, P&G hope worker swap will boost creativity
Over the past several weeks, about two-dozen workers from Google and Procter & Gamble have gone to each other's business-plan meetings and staff-training programs. The goal is to spur innovation and create closer ties between two giants with vastly different cultures. Wall Street Journal ... via GMA Smartbrief"

More about this here, but contrary to the title, there is no indication that this was prompted by 'hard times'.