Well, according to The Great Place to Work Institute (http://www.greatplacetowork.com/), which named Google as America’s ‘Best Company to Work For’, it’s because its employees think that….

“..this company has created a culture that is high on trust, low on politics, great at sharing resources and sharing the wealth, and is full of meaning and significance.”

As one Google employee put it “The don’t be evil” mantra is more than skin deep; it is the core of the culture”.

So, the culture runs a lot deeper than the perks that ‘Googlers’ receive, but they can’t hurt either – just take a look at the selection below:

And more recently they have added:

• Annual on-site Health Fair offering various free testing services, including eye exams and cholesterol testing; plus free flu shots.
• Fuel Efficiency Vehicle Incentive Program encourages employees to purchase hybrid cars by providing a $5,000 financial incentive.
• Their new maternity leave policy gives new mothers, who have been Google employees for at least 1 year, 6 additional weeks of paid leave (a total of 18 weeks) to bond with their baby. New fathers can take up to 7 weeks of paid time off during the baby’s first year.

Now, I know you’ll be thinking that this is an impossible vision. That Google is one of the world’s richest companies and doesn’t have to worry about making a profit each month. And you’re right, it does highlight a gulf between most UK workers’ experiences and those of the Googlers; but it also shows us what’s possible.  What if your business leaders applied the philosophy of Google’s leaders in your organisation? It wouldn’t be the same, but how might work feel different for you and your fellow employees?

If you’re digging around in research mode trying to find out more about great places to apply your skills and talents you might want to take a look at San Jose Magazine’s issue on ‘50 of the best places to work’. In this issue they focus on the top companies in the Bay Area “who offer incredible benefits, great camaraderie, cool perks, free food, and even soothing onsite massages”. Now who doesn’t need that??

Yes, of course Google is in there, as are Apple and HP (we would expect those). But, there are others who get less mention in the media, such as: Lam Research in Fremont, Linear Technology Corp. in Miliptas, Fortinet, Inc., in Sunnyvale and DemandTec in San Carlos, etc. – the list goes on.

Mainly technology companies (that’s to be expected since they are measuring Bay Area companies), but there are also others such as Perkins Coie LLP, The Trium Group and SRI.

It’s worth reading to get an idea and some balance around what you’re getting now vs. what’s out there with regard to other job perks. You’ll find the article here – you may need to scroll through a few of the articles, but it is in the Nov. ‘07 issue (a few months old, but good information).

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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