Google HQ
Yesterday, through good fortune, I visited Google's head office in Mountain View, California. The buildings are interesting but even more astonishing are the what and the how that make Google so unique.
First, in the parking lots there are hundreds of Charge Points for the large fleet of company- and employee-owned electric cars. The charging stations are powered by the solar panel installations designed and installed by my friend. Employees who do not live nearby have access to Google buses that provide transportation to and from work. (Google's Driverless Car is rumored to be ready for large-scale production in the near term.)
Second, inside each of the dozens of buildings at Google's campus, there are food and beverage stations--which offer three meals a day at no cost. And if the employees eat too much, they are encouraged to use the on-site gyms or outdoor volleyball court.
Third, recruiting is an everyday, on-going activity. The group of 30 prospective hires I saw included many Master's and PhD candidates from all over the world.
Fourth, Google requires that each employee spend several hours each day to think and create. (How does that fit into traditional Key Performance Metrics?)
Fifth--I did not have time to play with the multi-screen Google Earth display, but the visitors at the control panel were zooming in from a picture of the planet to their continent to their city to their neighborhhood to their house.
Sixth--Wow!
