Is the Googleplex workplace-Nirvana? Do we only bitch about it’s quasi-hippy-dippy-borg-collective sensibility because we know they would never employ scroates like us?
As I read the story I envisioned everyone with capped teeth and perfectly flat stomachs. For some reason it also reminded me of a Movie and TV series called Logans Run, about a futuristic society that exterminates the over 30’s
All criticism of Google aside, I don’t think they would exterminate someone based on age. No, Google wouldn’t dream of doing that?
6 Comments
As I read the story I envisioned everyone with capped teeth and perfectly flat stomachs. For some reason it also reminded me of a Movie and TV series called Logans Run, about a futuristic society that exterminates the over 30’s
All criticism of Google aside, I don’t think they would exterminate someone based on age. No, Google wouldn’t dream of doing that?
6 Comments
Comments
Wait, there was a Logan’s Run TV series? Oh...right...Googleplex work environment. It does seem like a really great place to work. This article has just made me even more envious of Google employees, because I now have a greater glimpse into what it’s like to work there! Of course, I’m not sure I’d do well with such a lack of structure. I might be too distracted by free food and swimming pools...
Dude, it even had a hovercraft in the series. But no Jenny Agutter.
Every time I hear about how great Google is to their employees I get excited. More companies should do similar things for their goons. I wouldn’t mind free food.
In my brief experience on the Google plex (at the Google dance) I was overwhelmed with the enthusiasm, put off by the youthful righteousness, and disappointed at the lack of wisdom. I assumed I was only meeting those easily convinced to man the Google Dance, and not the real drivers of Google. That makes sense... they have to fuel the machine off extracted value (a.k.a. "the backs of workers"), and it’s not easy to extract value out of us in the over-thirtyfive set. We know better.
Technically I’m "old" but I didn’t feel out of place there. I don’t think I’m normal though. I love techno and survive my kids’ music, so the Google Dance was easy for me to deal with. I’ve also been the old lady in two IT groups for two different companies where it was all men and then me. I didn’t have any trouble with that either. (Granted I was single then and they kept trying to fix me up with people.) We (Bill, Li and I) toured there during lunch...and of course there was the Google Dance. Matt, Adam, Avinash...Google engineers. They wanted to see everyone who came to visit. Had we been walking around during a non-hosting type of situation, the takeaway would be different I’m sure. I agree with John that the older you get and if you’re skilled/smart/talented/etc., the less likely you are to want to give it all to a company that could crash and burn at any moment. Someone told me that if your resume has Google on it, you’ll be hired anywhere. They could count for something at any age, but may be more valuable to young people. I’d love to see more objective (third party) studies on employee retention by Google. Does utopia work and for long?
John, as a gray-haired thirtysomething, I feel that in return, I extract a ton of value out of working there, maybe more than your average younger Googler because I’ve ’been around’ and I know how fantastic aspects are compared to companies I’ve worked at before.