Google offers 'second home' feel at office to its 'Googley'

Have you ever imagine getting all the leisure at home in your office, with free food, games and entertainment just a few steps away from your work station?

That's what Google company, including Google Malaysia, is offering to all its staff as one of the privileges they will get as soon as they are accepted as ''Googley'', making Google probably one of the most desirable place to work in the world.

For Google Malaysia office, it offers social space complete with arcade games, pool, football table, video games, movies, karaoke and once a month masseur coming to the office. Besides that, food is also provided for all the staff.

The office was opened in 2013 and located at Axiata Tower near Kuala Lumpur Sentral.

Head Of Communications for Google Malaysia and South Asia, Zeffri Yusof, said the main reason for having the social space was to create a comfortable environment and place to work for its staff.

"We want our work place to be as comfortable as we are at home. We want to create the feeling of ''second home'' among our staff. I think they will be more productive and collaborative in terms of doing work. Normally we work eight hours a day or more, therefore we want our staff to feel comfortable. When the lowest and basic needs are taken care off, we believe they can focus more on what's needed for today's work," he told Bernama during an interview at Google Malaysia office recently.

He said besides spending too much time meeting and working outside the office, the staff could fully utilise the facilities provided by the company to help them to be more productive.

"This is the best way to create a really nice work space that people enjoy coming and visit. Its all in one place where we can entertain our partners, media and client as well. Every meeting room has its own theme to enlighten the mood and to make it more fun," he said.

Zeffri also said this social space also helped the staff in breaking the ice as they could interact and communicate more with their co-workers, indirectly adding more benefits to the staff and the company.

"When we meet, talk about our jobs, there''ll be cross functional collaboration. it will make us feel more comfortable. If we do not know the other person at all, it will be a problem to work together." he added

He said such benefits were offered to ''Googley'' all over the world, but the facilities available depended on the size of the office and the country's culture.

"In Malaysia, there is Google written in batik design, Our design concept for office is local features as the main driver for Google office is usually to preserve our culture. Here we have collaborative culture between local and global.

"A bigger office will have more facilities, such as gym and more cafes. In Malaysia, the office is rather small, so not all the facilities can be provided, (but) we have massage chairs, space to rest, interact, to find inspiration, eat that there is no excuse to go out for food, unless for want of something different," he added.

Zeffri said the staff understood the working culture at the office and their responsibilities to not abuse the privileges given to them.

"Any working environment that takes care of the basic needs is probably one step ahead. It's easier to get the best out of its staff compared to companies that ignore such needs," he said, adding that Google has 70,000 staff all over the world.

- BERNAMA