Behind the Success of Google

MY  Second Youngest Brother

I was so shock when my little brother asked me to ask Mr. Google about the latest games available in the market. He is just 4 years old and he is a real gamer. I am surprised that he know about the "Google" thing because to me he is  just a small kid and I still remember that when I was at his age, I don't even know what is internet! (I am a Gen-Y). If he is an adult, I don't really care because it is normal for an adult to know on the ways and options that we have to search information. But he is just a small kid....

Then I start to realize how powerful is Google. Both of my brain and heart started to recall back what people will normally respond when my friend or I ask question. The respond will be like this: "Why don't you just Google it", "I don't know, try ask Mr Google", "have you tried Google?", "Travel is easy man, get hint from Google, or perhaps Google map?" and once my lecturer have said like this in my class "Alright students, if you don't understand what I teach today, you can just Google it when you go back home, learning is simple right?". Hmm looks like Google has make a lecturer's task become easier.  But, why everybody is talking about Google? why not other search engine? What makes Google so special? and the important thing is how Google make itself to be special? Is it related to the working environment that make staff in Google can work in a creative and innovative way? This is very interesting matter to know more so that anybody or companies can follow the Google way to be special and brilliant! and now, I'am using Google to search all the information that I need (haha).

                                                             I LOVE GOOGLE

Source From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNyfTxd9Xeg

First, I need to know whether it is true that Google is among the top ranking search engine in the world, or maybe it is only a culture in Malaysia to use Google to search for information and to do other online activities. Guess what, I found this top 15 ranking for search engine at http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/search-engines. The ranks is as follow:

1. Google

2. bing

3. Yahoo! Search

4. Ask 

5. Aol. Search

6. MyWebSearch

7. Blekko

8. Lycos

9. Dogpile

10. WebCrawler

11. Info.com

12. Infospace

13. Search.com

14. Excite

15. GoodSearch

So, it is true that Google is number one search engine in the world. Next, I search on what are the most important factor that makes Google become so creative and always produce something out-of-the-box. Through my readings, I found that actually the working environment at Google is the important factor that help the employees to be very creative, productive and bold and Google believe that happiness is the key of creativity.

Google offers extremely unbelievable perks for the employees and below are the perks:


                                                       GOOGLE's Perks

Source From: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/googleplex3.htm

Source From:http://computer.howstuffworks.com/googleplex3.htm

Source From:http://makocreative.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archive.html

Source From:http://makocreative.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archive.html

    Source From:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/fashion/31google.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

• If the employee feel like they want to change their look in order to be a person with up-dated look and to have more ideas, they can have free of charge hair cut service.
• To ensure the employees is healthy and physically fit, Google provide gym filled with equipment and swimming pools.
• To ensure that employee can get creative ideas in a relaxing environment, place to play a quick game like ping pong, billiards, football and video games are provided
• If suddenly there is a spill on the employees cloth, they have free laundry and dry cleaning service so that they can save the time, energy and always be clean. 
• Working might alsi lead to stress, so to help the employee to release their tension, Google provide massage services at a very low price.
• 11 free gourmet cafeterias are provided so that the employee can always have food and beverage to fill in their stomach during breakfast, lunch and dinner which next help them to generate more creative ideas.
• Weekly TGIF parties is a must at Google. The idea is to let the Googlers to know each other well because in order to produce something amazing, lots of sharing and exchange of ideas is needed. They can do this during the party. 
• Employees at Google is supported up to $8,000 per person to take any courses related to their task. So that they can always improve their knowledge.
• 27 days of paid time off after one year employment.
• Google give its engineers 20% of their working time to do personal projects which resulted in Google News, Gmail and Google Finance. 

There are lots more perks given by Google. Actually, to provide all these, Google pains a lot, but their investment is really worth since they are the best search engines and internet browser for the time being. There is another two culture that I think help the employee a lot in producing something intelligent.

First is open and honest communication. At Google they have regular meeting where it can face-to-face or online meeting. In this meeting, an employee can voice out and raise up any opinions, critiques and questions, while the senior members and other employee will try to respond to the best that they can. Google believe that having this style of communication will help to produce more ideas and create trust between people in the organization. 

                                                             GOOGLE's Working Environment



          Source From:http://jkmasterscareer.com/blogs/google/5882677-the-perks-of-a-career-at-google



                                     Source From: http://makocreative.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archi



                                  Source From:http://makocreative.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archi

Second is the office layout enable employees to freely change their working place from one place to another. Most of the chair and table can be move easily. Meaning here, if today Anne doing her work near to the door, tomorrow she can seat in front of the window. This method really helps employee to do their task wherever they think that they can be most productive, because human's mood will always change.

Above is juts some of the benefits and culture that Google apply at their workplace. There are many more strategies that they use to produce a brilliant and intelligent products. So, for companies and individual out there, let us be like Google, so that we can be successful like Google too. Anthony Robbins once have said this "If we follow the successful and rich people steps, we will become like them".

If you want to know more about Google's working environment, you can click the following link which I also refer to this sources:

• http://www.workhappynow.com/wp-content/Work-Happy-the-Google-Way-eBook.pdf
• http://computer.howstuffworks.com/googleplex3.htm
• http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BUS208-6.1.3-Interviewing-at-Google-FINAL.pdf
• http://computer.howstuffworks.com/googleplex3.htm