Google has long been known as the king of employee lifestyle perks and incentives.
Google has long been recognised for its lifestyle perks and incentives. Its sprawling campuses are home to the top minds in the tech industry, and in addition to the prestige of working for such a powerful company, employees are treated exceptionally well both on and off the clock.
To start, let's look at a few of Google's lifestyle incentives, and what they offer for their employees:
Bottomless food and snacks
Are you ever in the mood for a mid-afternoon bite but don't feel like spending the money? At Google, you'd never have that problem. Employees are served gourmet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners if they stay late, with ever-changing menus and an incredible number of options to choose from. Oh, and there are also coffee and juice bars, in case that wasn't enough!
A dog-friendly campus
If your heart breaks whenever you bid your dog goodbye, this Google perk is likely to appeal to you. Employees are welcome to bring their pets to the office, making everyone's workspace just a little fuzzier.
Massages as currency
At Google, if you think one of your colleagues did a great job on a certain project, you can gift them a "massage credit" as a thank you. These credits can be cashed in for an hour-long massage on the Google campus. What better way to blow off some steam in the wake of a job well done?
The list goes on and on and on.
From on-site medical services to best-in-class parental leave, working at Google can feel more like living in a small village at times. But how do these perks and incentives translate? Is the company throwing money and time down the drain, or is the generosity paying dividends?
Let's look at the facts.
In terms of keeping employees on board for longer, Google is far from immune to modern job-hopping culture. But among the 10 biggest companies in the tech industry, their retention rate is still commendable.
Employees stick with Alphabet, Google's parent company for an average of 3.2 years, longer than other tech giants like Facebook (2.5 years) and Uber (1.8 years). In fact, an average tenure of over 3 years puts them slightly above the general trend of millennials planning to switch jobs within 2 years.
At Google, employee satisfaction is generally very high. On the popular job hunting and vetting website Glassdoor, Google has landed itself on the "Best Places to Work" list for at least 5 years running, even snagging the coveted #1 spot in 2015 and 2018.
So, is Google's approach effective?
Since the company is known around the world for its incentives, it's safe to assume that they play a role in keeping employees around longer-term. Rewards and recognition programmes, like the peer-to-peer massage credit perk we mentioned above, are great for fostering a culture of appreciation and team spirit, while benefits programmes go a long way in motivating workers to go the extra mile.
What sets Google's employee incentive structure apart is its variety, the caliber of its offerings, and the relevance to its workers' "real life" needs. For example, they don't just serve breakfast they also serve dinner for people who work late, since Google is a demanding work environment. This is the bedrock of a human-centric rewards programme.
At Power2Motivate, we know how to cater employee incentive programmes to individual teams for peak effectiveness. Whether you're a Google, a Facebook, or something all your own, our experts will work alongside you to craft an effective strategy. Fill out our quick contact form to get started on a programme today!