A business trip took me to the official Googleplex in Mountain View, CA last week. While I thought my excitement was my own I have had so many people ask about my reaction to touring Google, I had to blog about it. My immediate reaction? Cool in theory, harder in practice.
As part of a meeting, I had a tour of the Googleplex. Google has dozens of offices around the world, but the main campus in Mountain View, CA (outside San Francisco) is the main headquarters. I noted the many buildings situated for a community atmosphere as well as significant security in place (need a passcard to get in almost everywhere and no photos inside any of the buildings). My favorite feature (and likely others') was the scrolling query. In the lobbies, Google projects a rolling list of Google searches performed around the world (scrubbed for appropriateness of course). Check out blogger Robert Scoble's video of this eye-opening window into the world in the Google lobby.
Long known as an innovative and unique place to work, the campus is touted worldwide because of its free food (multiple cafes), open workday (employees can work when and how they want) and perks (free laundry, volleyball courts and swimming pool, free gym, microkitchens with free snacks). Workers never really need to leave the Googleplex—constantly spurred by this “Google high.” And while it’s funny that a lifeguard is actually on the Google staff, it also makes you wonder…does this work?
Clearly Google is doing something right. They were #1 on the List of Fortune’s Best Places to Work and boast an extremely low turnover rate: 5% of corporate employees. But success comes with the price---employees known for working long hours, and free food keeping them at work instead of at home. If you take an hour out to play volleyball, you probably have to make that up. If you’re eating dinner at work are the time, are you missing out on being at home? And isn't 5% too low?
And there’s the flip side—employees who don’t want to play games or take a pool break or stay for dinner—are they missing out on Google-bonding? And even more important, does it only attract a certain demographic? As Google expands its product range it needs to attract a demographic of older users, parents and grandparents that need and want a combination of online ease and personal interaction in their lives. If you foster a “no need to leave environment” you can alienate part of the population that can parlay this insight. Word at the Googleplex is that the waiting list for childcare on campus is ridiculously long.
Moreover, the extensive commitment, the “I never need to leave campus” mentality, may not be the best for business. Clearly the founders’ intent is there—to take care of their employees, but I question how long this “Google high” can last. Or better yet, does it only last as long as the stock is up? One Google employee I spoke too said his hobbies were Google. Cool, but maybe not so great. Too much focus means you’re not thinking, you’re not refreshed, you can’t walk away, clear your mind and come back a few days, weeks or even months later. Sometimes you need that kind of break.
The culture and perks, for now, are clearly helping Google. But does this bode well for long-term stability? As the Fortune article contemplates: “But can Google's founders build a culture that doesn't depend on the stock price?”