When it comes to motivating your employees, there's no doubt that Google stands out from the crowd. Google named Best Place to Work 2014 by Great Place to Work Institutefortune magazine. The organization topped the list for the fifth time. It's true that in its short lifespan, Google has amassed a massive, smart workforce (over 50,000 employees spread across the globe) serving millions of people across the globe. What's even more exemplary, however, is how Google so pampers its employees and still manages to extract unique and extraordinary ideas and products from them.
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This article will walk you through one 1)Introduction to Google's work culture, 2)Motivating employees the Google way, 3)work is still being done, 4)Benefits of the Google Way to Motivate Employees, 5)Examples of Google products created by its employees in 20% of their "free time"..
INTRODUCING THE GOOGLE WORK CULTURE
Google's model of motivation and leadership turns traditional leadership theory on its head, which focuses more on results than on the people who deliver those results. The company's work culture corresponds to its philosophy:
"Create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world."
These words from Google's vice president of human development only reinforce that fact:
"It's less about claiming to be number 1 in the world and more about the fact that our employees and future employees like it here because it will make us successful."
While the company was still in its infancy, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin looked to organizations known for caring about people, building truly amazing brands and driving extraordinary innovation. The objective of this search was to attract and retain great talent. In their research, they found the SAS Institute (then ranked #1 on the Great Place to Work Institute's list of the best multinational companies to work for) as a company worth modeling. Interactions with SAS executives led the Google founders to realize that people are truly successful and loyal at work when they feel valued and fully supported. The result was Google's work culture as we know it today, complete with countless perks, unconventional (or strange) office designs, and incredible freedom, flexibility, and transparency, among other things.
MOTIVATION OF EMPLOYEES ACCORDING TO GOOGLE
Unusual but affordable amazing perks and benefits
Like other companies, Google offers the usual extra benefits like flexible spending accounts, free health and dental benefits, insurance,401,000 plans, vacation packages and tuition reimbursements. However, Google is best known for some truly distinctive and "more than just attractive"benefitsand perks that just show how hard the company is trying to keep its employees happy. Below are some examples of these notable perks and benefits.
- Reimbursement of up to $5,000 to employees for legal expenses
- Maternity benefit of up to 18 weeks off at around 100 percent of wages. The newborn's father and mother receive a maximum of $500 in travel benefits for the first 3 months they are home with the baby.
- Financial support in adopting a child (Google'sadoption assistance)
- On-site car wash, oil change, bike repair, dry cleaning, fitness center, massage therapy and hair salon are available at corporate headquarters in Mountain View
- The Googleplex has an on-site doctor and free gym, trainer, and laundry, among other perks
- Lunch and dinner are available free of charge. In addition, a selection of delicious yet healthy dishes prepared by gourmet chefs is offered daily.
voice and value
Democracy prevails at Google, and employees receive a sizable vote. Here are some ways how.
- The company holds employee forums every Friday, examining the top 20 questions.
- Employees can use a variety of expression channels to communicate their ideas and thoughts. Channels include Google+ conversations, a variety of searches, fixits (24-hour sprints dedicated solely to fixing a specific issue), TGIF, and even direct emails to one of Google's executives.
- Googlegeist, the company's largest survey, seeks feedback on hundreds of issues and hires teams of volunteers across the company to solve the biggest issues.
- Employees are regularly asked about their employee surveyManager. Survey results are used to publicly recognize the best leaders and make them role models or teachers for the coming year. The worst managers receive vigorous support and training, with the help of which 75% improve within a quarter.
transparency
Because Google is a company that considers its employees its greatest asset, anything that can be shared is shared. This is a way to show your employees that you trust them confidentially and trust their judgment.
After the first few weeks of each quarter, the CEO of Google shares virtually the same material with every Google employee that Google shared with its board of directors at its last meeting. Material includes launch plans and product roadmaps, as well as team and employee OKRs (quarterly goals) so all Googlers know what other Googlers are working on.
After annual employee surveys, in which 90% participate, employees not only see the results of their own group, but also of all other groups (privacy is protected). In addition, when the company takes actions based on the collective feedback of its employees, the actions taken are shared with everyone.
Hosted by the co-founders of Google and called TGIF, 30 minutes of a weekly all-hands meeting is devoted to a question-and-answer session where almost anything can be discussed or questioned, from the founder's clothes to the question of whether the company is going in the right direction. right direction.
Freedom over how and when work gets done
One of Google's strong beliefs is that by giving them freedom, they can get amazing results from people. Indeed, research by Sir Michael Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London, bears this out. Outside ofresearch he conductedOver a 4-decade period in the health of government workers in the UK, he found that higher mortality and worse well-being were consistently associated with workers who had the least degree of control over their working lives.
Google employees have more freedom to define their work hours and when they can have fun, whether it's a massage, a visit to the gym or just playing volleyball. In addition, the company allows each of its employees to do whatever they want 20% of their time (1 day a week). This can range from helping with another project to sleeping. Anything ethical and legal is fine with Google.
flexibility
In this flat hierarchical organization, engineers have a lot of flexibility in choosing the projects they work on. The organization also encourages its employees to pursue company-related interests. Also, instead of being coached on task protocol by top management, employees are able to approach tasks in their own way. For example, employees can express themselves by doodling on walls. They can also come to work whenever they want, in pajamas or even with the dog. The relaxed, creative and fun environment benefits Google employees psychologically, giving Google the advantage of being a more motivated, engaged and motivated employee.productiveworkers.
inspiring work
One of the reasons people are not motivated at work is that the work they are given often lacks variety or is challenging. The monotony of work with no visible growth dampens employee enthusiasm.
Things are different at Google, as the organization strives to ensure its employees do inspiring work. The 20% subsidy for self-interest projects is a step in that direction. A Google engineer named Chad-Ment Tan seems to have benefited greatly from this 80-20 rule. He had a desire to make world peace a reality during his lifetime. While that seemed like an impossible and strange dream to many, Google didn't put him off. Eventually, with the help of a professor at Stanford University, Tan developed a very successful mindfulness course.Daniel Golemann(author ofemotional intelligence) and other leaders in the business community. Tan's course is a great success at his company. Tan will also credit the New York Times bestseller entitled "In yourself."
Having fun is a regular aspect of the job
In keeping with Google's philosophy, life at Google isn't all about work. There are lots of fun ways to help Googlers get out of the office and even interact with each other more. Opportunities include frequent breaks, climbing facilities, beach volleyball or bowling; and personal creative sessions. There are also pajama days, costume days, and a Halloween costume party.Every April Fool's Day, Googlers can devise and implement some great jokes and tricks for the world. Google's office design is also fun, for example, employees can literally slide to the next floor with the help of a sliding construction. Likewise, there is a staircase in the Mountain View, California office that employees must climb to pass between floors.
Food is very easy to find - 150 feet from supermarket rule
Wherever they are, Googlers don't have to go far to access groceries. As for Google's east coast headquarters, not even a single office area is located more than 150 feet from any power source, be it a restaurant, microkitchen or huge cafeteria. Convenience obviously allows Google employees to eat frequently and potentially even meet their colleagues from other teams there.
Googlers benefit from free food and a wide variety of food types. Food stored in the open kitchen areas includes water, beverages, snacks and sweets. The healthier options are more visible than the unhealthy ones, showing how much Google cares about the health of its employees. For example, while the lemonades are somewhat hidden behind a translucent glass, different types of water and juices are immediately visible. Healthier snacks (like almonds and dried banana chips) are in clear glass jars, while less healthy types (like Life Savers and M&Ms) are in opaque ceramic jars with prominent nutrition labels.
Unconventional office designs
Google is known for itsunusual and often wild office designs. Projects serve a variety of purposes, including occasional collisions for creative people and engineers to come together, generating ideas and stimulating maximum creativity, ensuring employee satisfaction. Spaces for Googlers, therefore, include a Dublin pub-like meeting room; Ski gondolas at the Zurich office and a street cafe in Istanbul.
Taking the example of the organization's campus in Mountain View, California, the conversation areas resemble vintage subway cars. There are also Broadway-style conference rooms with velvet drapes and a maze of lounge areas.
Google lets its software engineers design their own workstations, or tables, that look like giant Tinker toys. While some of the engineers have high desks, others have added treadmills that allow them to walk around while they work.
Everything from ceilings and floors to the effect of different shades are analyzed to create the perfect workspaces.
Google - New York
WORK IS STILL DONE
With all the fun, flexibility, freedom, and perks that seem like heaven for any employee, we can't help but wonder if work at Google really gets done. The truth is, not only does the job get done, but Googlers often exceed management expectations for brilliant work. First, Google is very picky when it comes to hiring employees. The organization employs intentionally ambitious people with a proven track record and excellence. Also, by introducing a two-year deadline for each project, Google can ensure that its employees don't get carried away with all the benefits and fun. At the end of each week, Googlers are reminded that they are 1% closer to the deadline.
Because Google has such a distinctive and exceptionally employee-friendly work environment, Googlers often feel like coming to work and being diligent about their tasks.
ADVANTAGES OF GOOGLE WAY TO MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES
Other innovative products
Google's culture and work environment are designed to encourage maximum creativity. The organization knows that great ideas cannot be forced. Strategies like casual encounters between creatives and engineers, the freedom to explore, custom workspaces to make them more relaxed, and a big helping of independent time are fuel for the creative process and, ultimately, more innovative products.
Employees become more enterprising (thus more productive)
Google's culture and work environment are testament to the company's strong belief that innovation and invention cannot be planned. All you can do is hope for luck by working hard and trying to be in the right place. Google organizes its entire business to support and encourage unplanned entrepreneurship and innovation. Oefforts in that directioninclude the “20 percent policy”, powerful open development environments, a flat, data-driven organizational structure, tools and services that help launch, test and gather user feedback as early as possible; and generous recognition and rewards for successful innovations.
The result of this entrepreneurial environment, which allows engineers to work with virtually no restrictions, is increased productivity.
Less business risk
As already mentioned, Google gives its employees 20% of their work time for their own projects. Google employees test their various business models (and there are hundreds of them). Google owns these projects and can decide which projects to scale. That means less risk for Google in terms of failed projects.
EXAMPLES OF GOOGLE PRODUCTS CREATED BY YOUR TEAM IN 20% OF “FREE TIME”.
Google's allocation of 20% of free time is responsible for launching some of Google's brilliant and innovative products. In fact, in 2009, half of the tech giant's products came from the 20% program. Here are two examples of Google products that were created from the free 20%:
Gmail
Who has never heard of the free email service with Google Ads? in June 2012,Gmailwas the most used email provider worldwide, with more than 425 million active users. This project was started by a Google developer named Paul Buchheit. When asked to create some kind of email or personalization product, he created the first version of Gmail in one day, reusing code from Google Groups. Paul Buccheit had explored the concept of web-based email in the 1990s when he was still a student working on a personal email software project. This was before the launch of Hotmail. Gmail was introduced to the public in 2004.
Google suggestion
Google Suggest is the name of Google's autocomplete feature. Credit for developing this product goes to Kevin Gibbs, a Stanford graduate whose role at Google was working on the systems infrastructure that helped the company run its data centers. Gibbs used his 20% of the time to have fun working for him on a project that combined some of the great things about the geeky developer at the time - JavaScript, big data and high-speed internet. The result was Google Suggest.
Gibbs built the URL predictor on one of his bus trips from San Francisco to Google's headquarters in Mountain View. So when a person started typing a URL into a browser, the browser automatically completed the URL by scanning Google's vast inventory of web content. A colleague told Gibbs, "That's cool. What if you did this for research?" and thus Google Suggest was born. The name “Google Suggest” was contributed by then-executive Marissa Mayer. The product was introduced to the public in December 2004.
With Google's wildly successful formula for motivating employees, it's no wonder that the employee Google rating on a popular company review site is 4.1 stars out of 5 and 95% of Googlers approve of their CEO. .
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