HR Practice - Google Australia

Google Australia opened the door to its new Sydney headquarters and it was easy to see why the company was found by Business Review Weekly to be the best place to work in the country - the office appears more like a day-care centre for adults than a workplace.

The new building, located in the harbour side suburb Pyrmont, now houses 350 Australian Googles who have been the driving force behind several global Google products including Google Maps and the forthcoming Google Wave, which seeks to reinvent email.

But the media pack touring the new building today could be forgiven for wondering how any work gets done, as staff are constantly tempted by copious free perks, including games rooms, snake rooks filled with junk food and several chill-out areas built around themes such as parks and the ocean.

When theyre not hard at work, Australian Googlers can relax in a hammock, bean bag or lounge chair while playing any of the three major games consoles, pool, table tennis and any number of board games. A live webcam allows them to see if the equipment is being used without leaving their desk.

Google chefs provide free breakfast, lunch and dinner, and dishes are colour-coded green, yellow or red to allow staff to gauge how healthy their meal choice is. A new term, the Google 15, was coined to describe the weight propel add upon starting at Google. People tend to go nuts when they first start and eat a lot, Google Australias first employee, Kate Vale, said.

The campus-style office, the first six-star green Star building in NSW, was officially opened this morning by the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce. Much of the dcor is green-themed, the reception area resembling a rainforest and a plethora of plants dotted all over the office.

Overseas, Googles fun-filled campuses and playful dcor have helped fuel Googles run of good PR. In April 2009, a BRW study, conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute, found Google was the No. 1company to work for in Australia.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

1. What do you believe are the benefits to Google in offering such conditions?

2. Are there any disadvantages in offering such a workplace conditions?