Google's #1 Again!

[Judy McLeish]

At the Employee Factor, we love Google. Why? Google made Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" 2008 list. That’s number one for the second year running and it seems to me that you can’t be number one unless you have a happy and engaged workforce.

After all, as part of the selection procedure, 400 employees (selected at random) had to answer a 57-question survey that covered the gamut from job satisfaction to management attitudes.

So how does Google do it?

Is it the perks? There is no denying that the perks are amazing – from the stock options, to the opportunity to spend 20 per cent of your time working on special projects, the free gym, laundry, car wash, day care, concierge and free delectable food and gourmet snacks, to name just a few are all very attractive.

But perks alone don’t create a great company. So what is it that makes Google dominate?

At the Employee Factor, we think that Google’s success can be attributed to a corporate philosophy and culture that permeates the organization and engages and inspires all who come into contact with the company.After a quick Google search, we hit upon the Google Jobs website to find some insight and it was here that we found a list that confirmed our belief that it is the culture that sets this company apart.

This is a condensed version.

The Top 10 Reasons To Work At Google

• Lend a helping hand.
• Life is beautiful.
• Appreciation is the best motivation.
• Work and play are not mutually exclusive.
• We love our employees, and we want them to know it.
• Innovation is our bloodline.
• Good company everywhere you look.
• Uniting the world, one user at a time.
• Boldly go where no one has gone before.
• There is such a thing as a free lunch after all.

Now, that’s one engaging list. Now, who wouldn’t want to work at Google!

[Judy McLeish]

I think that the Google culture is very attractive to the younger generation - the Gen X and Ys versus the Baby Boomers (of which I am one). So if I was right out of school, I think Google would be a fantastic place to work and yes, like you, now I would rather work with - not for them!

[David Zinger]

I don't know, I am wearing a Google hat in my picture so you'd think I would be a natural but part of me would want to work with Google rather than at Google...of course if they were to call....