Google provide better perks then most of the companies out there. Have to admit that all perks they provide make you feel more like being a start up by offering you chose of projects, freedom of actions and creative expression and corresponding intensives. It might be a perfect place for the once who love start up culture and want to create new things without corporate pressure but are willing to sacrifice true perks of starting one for stability and relative luck of risk. I still would go for perks of own start up that Google can not provide me.
Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
51–60 of 96 posts
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#52"we decided to, for example, we significantly cut down all the snacks that had been available. [laughter]" Sounds more like a joke to me. Are google perks like the gourmet food really being cut? (I heard about the child care changes. It sounded like a reasonable change to me but not being a Googler I wouldn't know and the details are hazy). The head line seems sensationalistic and gives the impression that the folks…
From the end of the quoted excerpt, Schmidt speaking: The tightening that [CFO] Patrick [Pichette] in particular did, who I think is the current Google hero, really did change the culture in a much more pragmatic way: “We’re happy to work here. We’re happy to be employed. We love what we’re doing. Our freinds, you know, have been laid off.” It’s been a maturing process. And I think a generally good one.
I think what Schmidt was getting at is that there's more to making a good work environment than giving people free snacks.
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#53Maybe perks don't really scale so well.
It's surprising that he said the pay is very good, I was the impression people took paycuts for the google priviledge.
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
I used to do that at my old company! And it was definitely an old company!
Hewlett-Packard?
That level of old, but not HP. It was actually the first company to exist off of 100% software sales/licensing revenue. (Not hardware sales, with accompanying software, like IBM in those days.)
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can't find the link. But I'm pretty sure I saw a survey somewhere that showed the opposite finding: people prefer a pay raise to perks.
I imagine people might say they prefer salary over the equivalent in perks, but that doesn't mean they actually do. Getting paid 50% of market rate, but your boss flies the whole company to Europe for a week? Awesome company!
your boss flies the whole company to Europe for a week?
I actually worked for a company that chartered the Concord for its 25th anniversary. That happened before I worked there. A decade or so after that, we all find out how unsafe that actually was!
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
I imagine people might say they prefer salary over the equivalent in perks, but that doesn't mean they actually do. Getting paid 50% of market rate, but your boss flies the whole company to Europe for a week? Awesome company!
Subtle. People choose higher pay, but are happier with jobs that have more perks. Many of them are not even costly to implement since they cost mostly time and result in higher productivity. Eg RDOs.
Great coworkers are the ultimate perk. Really, that should be the primary factor in choosing a job.
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, I'm still getting free food up here in Google Kirkland, and it's great. The article seemed pretty odd to me, too.
Yes so what perks are being cut exactly? The article is vague about that.
My manager no longer comes by my desk and pats me on the back every day. I no longer bathe in milk in the gym shower anymore either. Its been rough.
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#58Some day people will look back and pinpoint that the day the free snacks were taken away was the day that Google started to be just like every other company...
(Excuse me as I enjoy my free Google snack and munch in confusion)
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#59My favorite shark-jump moment was when someone in HR sent out a blast email announcing a new HR initiative for a "wear pajamas to work day" highlighting Google culture. When HR has to manufacture culture and call it a perk, things are on their way downhill...
On a previous company they had "wear slippers day" and a couple of times the HR staff went around the office selling snacks...
A previous software company I worked for had its offices in what used to be nun's quarters. The rooms were small for living space, but very nice for an office, I hear. Apparently, the founder/CEO let the nuns come around once a year and talk to the employees about issues like their "salvation."
Re: Google's new culture: Perks are out. Being grateful you have a job is in
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree. "Just be happy that you're getting paid" is not an acceptable culture - petty things like snacks and freebies count.
As long as the perks are done well :) eg "Wear a Hawaiian shirt to work day" != perk
I don't know if you were making a direct reference to Salesforce.com's "Employees have fun in the office, participating in foundation/volunteer activities with their peers and wearing Hawaiian shirts on Aloha Fridays." (http://www.salesforce.com/company/careers/culture/)
I consider the whole Hawaiian shirt thing to be a "gateway" perk. If the company promotes wearing fun attire, then you can be sure to expect other more exciting perks. I don't know of any Silicon Valley software companies that advertise Hawaiian shirts as their one and only perk...
I also think Salesforce.com's volunteering perk is very enjoyable and worthwhile. You essentially get paid to do a workday of community service each month. Didn't sound very exciting or interesting at first, but it turned out to be extremely rewarding. I'd love to see more software companies adopting similar programs and following suit.