Have you heard how great it is to work for Google? It is no surprise that the company is constantly at the top of the lists of best companies to work for.
Imagine having massages, volleyball and basketball courts, bowling alleys and food especially prepared by a cook in your work space?
But it’s not just these benefits that make Google a successful company. The formula behind its success is also marked by the Google organizational culture, which has become a model for many other companies.
Google has more than 40,000 employees and is one of the biggest examples of corporate work culture. So what’s the secret?
Check out some important lessons that we can learn from Google company work culture!
7 teachings of Google organizational culture
Google organizational culture presents a great example. Get inspired by these 7 characteristics of Google work culture:
7 secrets of Google organizational culture
- Let go of the old forms of contracting: Leave behind the old ways of recruiting and seek out innovators
- Use HR analysis to your advantage: Use data to resolve problems and improve processes
- Have clear company missions and values: People like to know what to do and who’s doing it!
- Be transparent and horizontal in your relations: Exchange info and ideas. Have productive meetings and do away with power games
- Recognize your team’s work: Whether right or wrong, be present and give positive feedback
- Engage your team outside of work: Get together socially and encourage staff ties
- Develop a casual atmosphere: Seek to develop an open atmosphere where staff are open to express their opinions and ideas.
1) Let go of the old forms of contracting
In recruiting the most creative and skillful minds, Google carries out a meticulous hiring process analyzing beyond just the technical and intellectual skills.
Although it’s a long process, it’s worth it!
Forget the normal questions used in interviews like “what are your best qualities and your worst flaws?” And start employing questions that make candidates think outside the box!
In this way, you will be able to reach a more innovative and specific employee base for your goals.
2) Use HR analysis to your advantage
Google uses numbers and data collected by Human Resources as a potential for the development of its employees. With this analysis of data, decision making becomes much more accurate.
For example, when Google realized that women on its team were resigning twice as often as men, HR recognized that this rate was related to the conditions of maternity leave benefits.
In this way, the company changed its specific policies and managed to control turnover. This was only possible thanks to Google’s organizational culture.
3) Have clear company missions and values
Google has a particular way of organizing itself hierarchically, which basically dispenses with many authority figures. Its team consists of a smaller number of managers and a group administration.
This creates a more open and conducive environment for employees to express their opinions and ideas. With a structural organization that tries to soften the power relations between employees, it is possible to open the space for more open democratic discussions.
4) Make the company’s mission and values clear
Since its inception, Google has had a list of basic company values that today define the way the company works. With innovation as one of its principle pillars, Google uses its resources to boost creativity and give purpose to the work of its employees.
Having a clearly defined mission cultivates an environment where people know why they do what they do and love doing it. Therefore, declaring missions and values on paper may seem simple, but for them to be meaningful the company must be willing to make them into something that has real value and impact.
5) Be transparent and horizontal in your relations
Within Google’s organizational culture, directors hold a meeting every Friday. There employees from all over the world vote online on the most pertinent questions to be answered.
Exchanging information and ideas at weekly meetings like this creates transparency and space for debate in the company. By keeping everyone up to date on what’s
happening and what direction the company is taking, makes everyone feel a part of a wider community.
Companies that value this type of collaboration and encourage transparency among employees develop a more positive and horizontal environment. Consequently, people become more productive and engaged.
6) Recognize your team’s work
At Google positive contributions are rewarded with company shares. Tempting isn’t it? But mistakes made by the team are also seen as something to be celebrated.
Co-founder Larry Page explains that when you are in a company that is willing to risk to innovate, it is a good sign that mistakes happen! They bring about new ideas and make the organization develop.
7) Engage your team outside of work
Google has high business margins and many resources. But what really makes it viewed as a company committed to the community is its passion and its philosophy of giving meaning to people’s work.
This Google corporate culture of promoting social get togethers allows coworkers to discover other surroundings and ways to socialize, strengthening the bonds built within the company. Therefore, focus on the intangibles, the ways to improve your company culture by focusing on your team. This is within the power of all companies to do, regardless of their size.
Now you know a little more about the organizational culture of Google and what makes it such a success, subscribe to our newsletter to receive more tips on organizational culture in your email!
