In an era where employers are often struggling to attract top talent, there are several companies that have no difficulty attracting the cream of the crop. Glassdoor released its annual Best Places to Work list with many familiar faces. The list is generated by an algorithm that looks at anonymous reviews for several factors including consistency, quantity, and quality. Among the top of the list was tech giant Google.
What They Do
We all know Google from its popular search engine and e-mail services; however, this company has rapidly expanded its scope to encompass much more. Google holds many properties including YouTube, Android, Fitbit (wearable fitness), Nest (smart thermostats), Waze (navigation), and many other products.
Google has formally changed their name to Alphabet, creating a subsidiary named Google. However, they are often still referred to by the well-known name Google. Today, they employ a staff of over 100,000, having demonstrated massive growth in a short time.
Why Employees Love Working for Google
There are many reasons why Google stands out when it comes to employee satisfaction. One is the perks. They are the originator of the concept of providing high-end perks to employees. Perhaps most known is their cafes (or which they have over 30 on site). They serve a variety of offerings including gourmet organic food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
There are also many opportunities to relax while on breaks. The company has its own bowling lanes and mini swimming pools. If you need to schedule an appointment, the company makes it easy. You’ll find physicians, hairstylists, masseuses, and many other services on site at its Mountain View, California campus. Workers even have the option of taking shuttle buses with leather seats and Wi-Fi.
Another major factor for employee happiness at Google is the benefits. The median pay tends to be higher than tech peers while the benefits are extensive. Perhaps most cited is the parental leave policy which provides workers with 24 weeks of paid leave to workers giving birth and 18 weeks of paid leave to spouses or partners.
Google’s Investment in Employee Learning
Employee learning fosters high level of employee satisfaction as Google focuses on empowering staff to grow and develop professionally. The company’s 20% rule encourages employees to spend one-fifth of their workday focusing on learning or other things that will best benefit the company.
For those wanting to learn, Google has an ambitious peer-to-peer learning program known as “Googler-to-Googler” where over 6,000 employees have volunteered to provide their time teaching topics to coworkers. These topics are taught in small, easily digestible chunks based on the science of memory retention. It is so successful that 95% of employees note they would recommend their courses to others.
When it comes to promoting employee satisfaction, Google has shown that taking a significant investment into things like perks, benefits, and professional development can go a long way. With programs and policies like this, Google will likely continue to be a leader in employee satisfaction.
