What’s it like working at Google?

We all know Google is a great tech company with crazy developments and innovation, but what do they offer as an employer? In this post, I will go through the awesome perks that I have access to as a Google employee.‍

A Quick Overview:

• An awesome company from both an internal and external perspective
• They look after Googlers and invest a crazy amount of money in the development and growth of their employees as they believe that “Lifelong learning is inherently Googley.” ‍
• With covid-19 around all of the Googlers are working from home, and reportedly Google has saved over $1billion during the pandemic, travel and entertainment expenses alone have saved them $371 million - though we are now being encouraged to return to the office.

TLDR:

• Free Food and Drinks
• Gym, Studio, Massages
• Tech allowance
• Education reimbursements
• Dogs are welcome
• Test the latest software and products
• Hybrid work culture and opportunity to work remote
• Free Swag

1. Free Food and Drinks

While there are perhaps more unusual and interesting benefits to working at Google, the impact of a free meal can never be overstated… At the London office I have access to a free breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, including starters, mains and deserts. On top of the lunchtime savings (those £3 meal deals really mount up over a year), the convenience, quality of the food and investment in the employees really comes together to form one of my favourite Google perks. Beyond the meals, there is an office-barista for premium coffees and teas, as well as a micro-kitchen on each floor if you want to make something for yourself.

2. Gym, Studio, Massages

A healthy body = a healthy mind = more Google productivity. Once you start at Google you have unlimited access to the in-house gym, for pre, post or mid-workday sessions. I find that taking a break to exercise is often a great way to refresh your ideas, de-stress and re-focus. If you’re not the most athletic person around *cough cough* Google provides instructors and personal trainers to aid in both workouts and everything surrounding it - think lifestyle, meal plans etc. 

There is also studio space for group sessions, if desired. However, one of the best and most unique Google perks is the freedom to use sleep pods (assuming you can fit it into your work day!). These are exactly what they sound like: personal pods that look straight out of star-trek, where you can take a power nap and refresh. I don’t know about you, but when I used to work in my Uni library I would’ve killed for an administration-approved 20-minute nap space to break up those all-nighters and revision marathons. 

On top of these amazing provisions, you even accrue massage points to redeem on any of the spa treatments that Google offers its employees. What I think comes through from these perks is the Google philosophy that an employee will work harder, smarter and for longer if the work environment makes them happy and fulfilled. What other company lets you take naps at work!?

3. Tech allowance

Google is now a trillion dollar company. With a ‘T’. What’s cool about that (for me at least), is that these profits trickle down to the employees in the ways listed above, but also through more obviously financial avenues. When you start at Google, for example, you get a $1000 tech allowance to invest into your productivity and home office. In the time of Covid-19, this has been an invaluable asset in smoothly making the Work-from-home transition and cracking on with what needs to get done!

On top of this, you are free to order the majority of google-branded tech products from the internal store, with no supervision; that is, up until you’re ordering things like CPU’s and Monitors. In that case, you would need to run it by your management. As a fun extension to this, every new employee receives a Google Swag Box when they start (which we’ll talk about later, but you can go watch the unboxing here if you can’t wait!

4. Education reimbursements

Continuing with the theme of monetary rewards, Google will reimburse you for the majority cost of any course related to your work, giving you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skillset while working within the position. This is an especially good scheme for those wanting to graduate upwards within the company or elsewhere. 

Beyond that, even if the course isn’t directly related to your work, they will contribute towards it (assuming you can justify it - don’t go billing scuba diving classes to your programming department!).

5. Dogs are welcome

Now that’s all out the way, we can talk about the REALLY important stuff. Dogs are welcome in the office. In addition to the convenience and cost-saving of not needing a dog-sitter, this means that the office has dogs scurrying around while you’re working. If there’s one thing that will boost my morale deep into a work day, it’s a new furry companion.

6. Test the latest software and products

It probably comes as no surprise to you that people who work in the tech industry are really into tech. If you’ve devoted that much time, energy and focus into accruing knowledge in this field, it can be incredibly rewarding to have exclusive access to new tech; to be on the cutting edge of innovation and to be trusted with secret and unreleased products. 

In my role at Google I’m often able to learn about or use software and products before they hit the mass market, and glean some insider knowledge on the direction the company and the industry are heading. While perhaps one of the nerdier and more niche perks of the job, if you’re inclined that way this can be a genuinely exciting and fascinating aspect of working at Google.

7. Hybrid work culture and opportunity to work remote

Even before the pandemic, the focus on wellbeing within the Google culture allowed for remote working where appropriate - giving many employees the option to work in the beautiful Google offices, to stay home, or to work remotely while travelling (see Why I became a Digital Nomad for more on my experience with this). Most readers will be aware of the many pro’s (and some cons) of working remotely now, but the hybrid model at Google allows for much of the social aspect and efficiency of an office, while maintaining the convenience of WFH! 

Google was among the first employers to implement this on a large scale and the benefits are now well known, speaking to their forward-thinking management and focus on work-life balance.

8. Free Swag

Finally, to complete your welcome at Google they will deliver a ‘Swag Box’ to your home, containing all kinds of Google and YouTube branded goodies. Nothing makes you feel more like part of the Google family than sipping from your Google mug, writing in your YouTube notepad, dressed in your Google Tee, getting ready for a big day of Google work. The unboxing of this swag box is currently the most popular video on my channel, so I likely said it better there than I can here.

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