Even in Silicon Valley, Google is a giant. It has nearly 32,000 employees cranking on everything from cell phone software to search algorithms. "People have a tendency in larger organizations to create their own hierarchy, so we do a lot of things to counteract that and make it feel more intimate," says Laszlo Bock, Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google.
Part of those efforts include setting the bar high when it comes to keeping Googlers happy with benefits few other companies can match, whether it's free gourmet food, on-site laundry, dry-cleaning, and alterations, an outdoor sports complex, or the star-studded lineup of speakers. Here, check out some of the newer perks that help make Google Fortune's best company to work for.
Outdoor fitness
Google spares no expense when it comes to making sure its employees are in good shape. Last summer, the company opened a large outdoor sports facility. Named after the street it is on, the Garfield sports complex includes a soccer field, basketball court, two tennis courts, two bocce ball courts, two horseshoe pits, a putting green and a roller hockey rink.
Indoor recreation
When employees aren't hitting the bocce ball courts in Mountain View, they're kicking back at other on-campus options like the bowling alley, where users can reserve one of four lanes. At the Google Dance Studio, they can choose from one of 31 weekly classes like Capoeira or the utilitarian "How to dance at a party," taught by professional instructors and experienced volunteer Googlers.
Food for all
Google is legendary for being generous with free food and, as the company has expanded, that policy hasn't changed. Since the company last topped Fortune's Best Companies to Work for in 2007, the number of Googlers has more than tripled. The company has scaled its culinary efforts to match, more than doubling the number of cafeterias from 11 to 25 at its Mountain View headquarters. Options continue to include the Asian-themed Cafe Gia and Cafe 150, a restaurant that only uses ingredients sourced from within 150 miles.
Sit or stand
Sitting could be hazardous to your health. According to the American Cancer Society, women who sit more than six hours a day are 37% more likely to die earlier than women who sit less than three hours a day. (Men are 18% more likely.) That may be why some Googlers are opting to stand at work instead. One option that became increasingly popular last year was swapping out the standard sit-down desk for a standing desk. Googlers place an order with the company's Ergolab, choose from a number of desk models, and have their desk measured to their height. An unofficial tally has standing desks at Google now numbering in the hundreds.
