News Media: The Google Way of Life

It was destined to fail; Google Inc seemed to be lacking from the start. The bizarre creation of the company began in 1996 as a research project by two Stanford PhD applicants. Sergey Bren and Larry Page were both computer science majors who were known as “scary smart”. After the two computer geeks misspelled the word googol, they had created a website where people could efficiently search the internet. Three years after the two founders launched their website they decided they might want to begin to make a profit. After the advertising setup we Google users know as the right hand side column, Bren and Page had a full functioning company.

From the beginning both founders knew they wanted their company to be different and different is most certainly one way to describe the life inside the Googleplex. As the video illustrates, Google is no average company. Though this video is directed to describe how Google caters to female employees, we thoroughly see the ideas and philosophies on management and the workplace environment. From programs, to food, to sports, Google offers it all, but what does this mean for worker productivity, the workplace environment and the management approach. Obviously, Google did not fail so they must be doing something right.

It seems as though everything about Google was created for employees to be as productive as possible. The design of the building, the contents within the building, the norms of the workplace all seem to increase worker productivity. Some of the social norms referred to include, meetings over a pool table, bringing your pet to the office, taking a lunchtime hockey break, or getting a back massage. By relaxing the environment these characteristics of the company might seem to slow down the workers but in fact there productivity is the highest in their field. While it takes Microsoft years to work through innovation, design, product testing and completion, Google seems to be adding a new component to their website daily. Google also believes in continuing education. Google has tech talks once a week for employees to ask questions and be informed on everything in the technology community. This constant learning helps keep employees up on current technology allowing them to be more productive and innovative.

One of the most unique aspects of the Google community is the workplace environment. The feeling when you walk through the doors of an organization says a lot about their values and their priorities. Google employees feel as though they are working for a small company even though Google is an international corporation. Google hires only the best of the best; they receive over 1000 resumes each day. This gives Google a competitive edge to hire people who they want in their environment. People in the Googleplex are intelligent, enthusiastic people who are passionate about what they do (usually they are pretty smart too).

Another unique component of Google’s environment is their 20% idea. Google allows its employees to spend 20% of their time at work to create and develop their own project. This allows users to feel free from constraint or domination and it also helps the company with constant innovation. Something often praised about at Google is the free food. More than just a regular lunch line; there are gourmet chefs, candy jars lining halls, closets full of cereal bars and free pop machines at every corner. Google actually has a rule that there must be food within 100 feet of each employee. In case you gain what is known as the “Google 15” there are plenty of ways to work it off in one of the many gyms or fitness centers on site.

Though it is easily seen that Google is taking a step into unknown territory in their management style, they are still keeping the general ideas of the human relations approach. The Googleplex it self could be seen as the Hawthorne affect on speed. Workers aren’t just being paid attention to; the Google worker has it good. This illustration of the “Hawthorne affect on speed” was awarded by Fortune magazine naming Google the best company to work for in the year 2006. What’s more is the ratio of executives to engineers is extremely low. This distancing of management allows employees to feel less watched over or inferior. Google also has a mentoring program for new employees to orient them to their new environment. This program directly correlates with the human relations approach in that the company is recognizing the needs of the employer and then meeting those needs.

One may think of the Google Corporation as a machine, but it is certainly different from the machine used in the scientific management metaphor. Google earnestly seems to care about its employers. Any company can implement strategies to increase worker productivity, manage to the best of its abilities and create a sound work environment, but few can do what Google has accomplished. Though the company began with a bizarre start, it certainly did not fail. With company worth at over 120 billion dollars Google is far from failure. Google is far from failure because of their welcoming workplace environment, their relational management approach and their high worker productivity.