Best practices for Creating a Fun Place to Work
The winner: Google, Ireland
The Irish office of the world's most popular search engine employs about 700 people, of whom a full 60% are relocated from other countries, and 32 nationalities are represented at the office.
How does the company manage to create such a strong sense of fun and unity among such a diverse group of newcomers, particularly among so many from a generation already oversaturated with video games and other entertainments?
In short, they give them more of the good stuff they love and turn it into a business advantage. Google Ireland has many practices to foster a fun place to work:
- TGIF ("Thank Google It's Friday") events every Friday. These events bring the company's employees and managers together to celebrate the week and learn about the latest company-wide updates.
- Offices are reflective of a campus style environment and are built for constant fun. Every floor is equipped with a game room, with lava lamps, comfy sofas, bean gabs, gym balls, table football, billards, DVD players, and video games. Employees receive a budget to decorate their work areas as they please.
- All weekly, quarterly, annual corporate and team events and parties are open to everyone, with a budget of 50 Euros per person allocated for each event. Quarterly offsites contribute to bonding at the team level, while quarterly "all-company" meetings ensure organization-wide solidarity.
- Google Ireland also celebrates the diversity of its workforce in fun ways, whether through a Hispanic-themed event with Latin American food and salsa dancing classes, or during a German Christmas Market, when employees can get into the spirit in the Bavarian tradition.
"I have the feeling that I am at the University!" says one employee. "Always learning new things and surrounded by great fun people from all over the world"
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