What employees really like about being a “Googler” is the tech giant’s culture that promotes teamwork, performance and inspires both physical and mental well-being.
Free food around the clock, a climbing wall and music room are all amenities that make Google Canada a great place to work. But what employees really like about being a "Googler" is the tech giant's culture that promotes teamwork, performance and inspires both physical and mental well-being.
That winning combination has earned Google Canada the top spot on the Best Workplaces 2016 list for large & multinational organizations with more than 1,000 employees worldwide.
Like everything at Google, its unique workplace culture is the result of careful study and collaboration.
"We tackle the workplace like our engineers tackle computer science, with data and a willingness to try new things," says Aaron Brindle, head of public affairs at Google Canada.
"This investing in Canooglers – as they're called in Canada – is about driving business outcomes, but it's investing in our talent first and foremost. That drives innovation and supports retention."
It's a corporate culture inspired by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin "and the way they created the company," says Tati Costa, head of human resources for sales at Google Canada.
That means constantly sharing information with employees and asking them for feedback and to find solutions not only on products and services, but ways they can work better together.
"We want people to connect with each other, to build a culture of interaction and exchange," says Ms. Costa.
Google took that cultural commitment a step further by conducting an internal study of teams, released in November 2015. It uncovered five dynamics that set successful teams apart. They include:
1. Psychological safety: Team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other.
2. Dependability: Team members get things done on time and meet Google's high bar for excellence.
3. Structure & clarity: Team members have clear roles, plans and goals.
4. Meaning: Work is personally important to team members
5. Impact: Team members think their work matters and creates change.
Ms. Costa says psychological safety was the most important to employees, and the foundation for the other four.
"It means that when you're working in teams, you're allowed to give your opinion and feel safe to do so. Your peers are open to that," Ms. Costa says.
That includes permission to disagree with a manager, which Ms. Costa says inspires people to think independently and often leads to innovation.
"We give people space to raise things that they want to do in a creative way, or express if they think something isn't working," Ms. Costa says. "We don't say 'No' very much. We say a lot of 'Yes.' We are open to try the impossible and have people learn from mistakes."
She says Google has been asked to share its results with other companies looking to boost employee morale and productivity.
Google Canada has about 700 employees in Canada in offices in Toronto, Waterloo, Montreal and a small site in Ottawa. There are more than 60,000 employees at Google worldwide.
This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in it's creation.