Google is continually recognized for its employee-centric culture and is considered one of the best companies to work for. This is due in large part to Google’s wide array of employee benefits. Bicycles and scooters to get across campus, complimentary meals, healthcare, on-site physicians, gaming rooms, and nap pods are just a few of the things that individuals enjoy at Google.

Google’s workplace culture is built on data. Every decision Google makes hinges on qualitative and quantitative data. It’s no surprise, then, that the company’s human resources (HR)

department, called People Operations, uses data analytics to glean insights about employee behavior. As an example, the company measures total waiting time for employees at lunch to improve the flow of the cafeterias. Using internal data offers a way for the tech giant to increase happiness and satisfaction. For example, when the company uncovered high turnover rates among employees who were pregnant, Google introduced an enhanced paid parental leave policy.

Google’s culture fosters fun and creativity. Ping pong, billiards, and foosball tables as well as arcade-style video games are found throughout Google’s buildings. Free meals add to the appeal of working at Google’s offices. Instead of confining employees to cubicles, they are encouraged to make use of a variety of community areas including breakout zones, coffee bars, lounges, and cafeterias. Google’s headquarters, called the Googleplex, was designed by South African architect Clive Wilkinson who kept teamwork and creativity top of mind when creating the facility. The Googleplex’s features were intended to boost productivity and improve employee satisfaction. Workspaces are designed to accommodate three to four people, which is said to be effective for sharing ideas without distracting the rest of the office. Employees are encouraged to share ideas and engage in discussion with co-workers because it can lead to unexpected, innovative results.

Google takes a decentralized approach to empowering its employees. It’s said that employees are often allowed to use 20 percent of their time for independent side projects to promote and inspire creativity. This side project mindset gave birth to many of Google’s most successful products such as Gmail, AdSense, and Google News. One of Google’s pillars for innovation is to strive for continual innovation rather than instant perfection. For example, the initial version of AdWords released in 1999 was a flop. But, after many iterations and experiments, Google reached the Google Ads model that exists today. Extending its 20-percent-time concept even further, Google introduced the Google.org Fellowship that allows its employees to work full-time for nonprofit partners for up to six months. Collectively, Google aims for 50,000 hours of pro bono work annually through the program. The program allows Google to have a lasting impact in the areas of education, criminal justice, and economic opportunity while allowing its employees to grow and gain outside experience and inspiration.

Looking to the future, one challenge Google faces is maintaining its fun, creative culture as the workforce becomes increasingly remote. This presented itself during the COVID-19 pandemic when Google ordered employees to stay home for more than a year, affecting nearly all of the company’s full-time and contract employees. Google employees were told they could not expense food or gym costs while working from home in an updated policy. Employees went as far as to say their productivity declined due to the lack of free coffee and food. Google will likely have more and more remote employees in the long run and will need to identify ways to engage remote team members.

As a global leader in the tech space, Google has high demands and standards for its employees. By building a culture of happiness and supporting employees’ creative endeavors, Google can not only attract and retain top talent but also improve productivity and fuel innovation. This innovative work environment is one of the reasons Google is so successful.19

Questions

1. How does Google promote creativity and innovation?

2. How is data analytics used to inform Google’s benefits?

3. What perks could Google offer to engage remote employees?