Google: the food, the frenzy, the fun

Recanting my position

Last year I had the opportunity to visit several Google campuses in Seattle, New York and Mountain View and meet the employees there.  It was an interesting and enlightening experience that changed my perspective on the company.

I wrote a blog post on Google that found fault with it being an employer of choice and at the top of the “best employers to work for” list. At risk of being compared to an average politician, I have flip flopped on my position and for good reason. I got to see first hand what it’s like to work, and eat at Google.

Let’s start with food

I had lunch on “seafood Friday” in Mountain View which puts Red Lobster in the category of MacDonald’s. Envision clams and oysters on the half shell, steamed salmon, grilled prawns and Alaskan king crab legs. If that didn’t suit your fancy, there was a Mexican grill, sushi bar, Chinese stir fry, plus the usual hot entrees, sandwiches and salads.

It was all healthy, high quality, upscale not to mention free and all you can eat. On every floor of each building there is a mini-restaurant with healthy snacks and beverages plus gourmet coffee.  Somebody actually put in a vending machine selling junk snacks such as cheetos, bad candy bars, etc as a joke.

In Seattle the catering for the event where I presented was better than the vast majority of weddings I have attended. Imagine poached pear salad with lavender flavored crème fresh topping. And that wasn’t dessert which included petite fours. Good Washington State wine flowed too.

New York was a tad more modest as they had a big employee event the same night and the employees got the better food than the visiting event. Forget image. Google weighs in on the side of talent happiness. Not withstanding, the food in New York far surpassed any Silicon Valley professional association buffet by a mile.

Moving on to location and environment

Though it did vary by location, all the sites made a workplace feel relaxed, comfortable, convenient and even as fun as possible. This had nothing to do with age but everything to do with the quality of furniture, the color schemes, the amenities, the sound level, and privacy.

Beyond a dry cleaners, Laundromat, bookmobile, mobile medical clinic, volleyball courts, gyms, game rooms, fun lounges and a door to door commuter shuttle service,  it was just plain nice to be there.  And that showed in the energy, attitude and ease of the people working there.

Professional Development and Marketing

Every floor in Mountain View has an area for 30-40 person mini auditoriums where talks and presentations occur on a regular basis. They bring in thought leaders, and cutting edge speakers from outside as well as keep people up to date on internal developments.

On most floors there are cabinets that are refilled weekly with tee shirts and other Google branded clothing that quickly empty out to the first takers.  One could presume if you prompt enough, you need not do laundry but just wear a new every week.

I came away with a Google Seattle mug and a bunch of Google spiral notepads and pens.

Money and Merit

The biggest complaints that most people have about their work is the politics. Translated that means: co-workers who don’t pull their own weight; recognition doled out to those who suck up to their managers; and rewards given not for work well done but to buddies and insiders. 

I can’t say that none of that exists at Google but I can say that the noise to sound ratio is in the favor of meritocracy. Everyone’s goals for the quarter are posted to the internal web thus everyone knows what everyone else is supposed to be doing and when. Pay is given for performance. Being self-employed I totally get that concept.

In many companies where longtime tenure, politics and complacency has set-in actually doing a day’s work for a day’s pay may be hard to grasp. But more importantly, in many other high tech companies you are worked just as hard but the politics have far greater sway over human resource decisions. A person may do the best job in the company and still not be recognized and rewarded amply for their efforts.

Born again

I admit it. I am now a Google convert and will gladly help anyone get into the company….if they are up to it. It’s a demanding, but fair, environment. So if you like to play large, value excellence and being openly responsible then Google is for you.

Some may think I have again gone over to the dark side, the first time being when I announced my opinion that Microsoft was one of the best employers in tech. I still believe that to be the case and think Yahoo could do a lot worse than get bought by them.

But that’s another story.