Google, an expressive, intuitive and creative organisation founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. At present Google offers a vast array of services online, including mail, cloud storage, social networking and most recognisably a search engine (which by the way, deals with over 2 million search queries a minute)!
Now you would assume that to remain at the forefront of online technology it’s all work and no play at Google. But is it? Are the Google offices nothing but a mundane glass building consisting of little else but computers and desks? The answer to that would be no, no, and no again, and here’s why.
Google currently have more than 70 offices in over 40 countries across the globe. They pride themselves on allowing their employees to think both freely and creatively, with their offices helping to facilitate such thinking. Often described as an ‘adult playground’, Google was ranked as the number 1 best company to work for by Fortune Magazine.
So what is it really like inside a Google office?
Well according to Google, no two offices are the same, but you can expect to find the ‘usual’ idea-sharing cubes, video games, pool tables and pianos as well as ‘microkitchens’ stocked with healthy food and coconut water (obviously); and good old fashioned whiteboards for spur-of-the-moment brainstorming.
But that’s nothing; other Google offices are touted as having slides between office floors, ladders to secret rooms and boats for sofas. It doesn’t stop there either, Google currently employ social scientists to run hundreds of experiments – experiments that help determine the level of job satisfaction amongst employees and the best methods for running such a large firm. This of course, eventually leads to an increased level of happiness and boosts staff morale.
All in all it seems that Google is a quite extraordinary place to work. In light of this I’m off to convince our directors that purchasing a pool table for the Giraffe office is a good idea.
Wish me luck!
