Are the cubicle walls just not doing it for you? Consider changing over to one of the Internet offices leading the happy and healthy philosophy movement. Google, Facebook, Apple, Zappos, and now Amazon are putting time and money into creating some of the most inspirational and unique workplaces in the world. The thinking behind Apple’s space shuttle headquarters and Amazon’s plans for a bio-dome is that if the employees are in a happy, inspiring, and creative work environment, they will produce better ideas.
The four companies function almost like startups; they want employees to be able to speak their ideas and opinions, have easy access to executives, and work in a hands-on, collaborative office. An outrageous idea to some corporate members, but the numbers speak for what the employees really think. For their fourth year in a row, Google, Inc. has been number one on Fortune’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” citing a fraction of its crazy facilities such as a seven-acre sports complex holding a hockey rink, bocce courts, horseshoe pits, and basketball courts. Other companies are taking the philosophy behind work happiness and a comfortable atmosphere and applying it to their workplace.
Blast off with Apple
Apple, Inc. is working on fulfilling one of Steve Jobs’ plans he left behind after his death in October 2011. The proposal is to turn Apple’s headquarters into an outer-space-looking structure. Straight out of a little boy’s dream, Apple Campus 2 will be a 2.8-million-square-foot loop featuring a 1,000-seat hall and a power plant. The building is expected to be done in the next three years and ready for thousands of employees to move in.
An artist's rendering of Apple Campus 2.
But for now, Apple employees are located in Cupertino, CA, at Apple Campus, which looks similar to a college campus. There are six buildings on the premises with walkways that go between atriums, with meeting spaces engulfed by trees, lounge-like furniture, and a “Hyper Table,” which is essentially a table of iPads that display all apps purchased up to that date. Apple is home to a mini museum with past products, lunchtime concerts, and “slide to unlock” signs on the bathroom doors. Apple’s chic yet comfortable atmosphere has been the birthplace of some of modern technology’s finest ideas.
The anonymous Facebook
Facebook walks to the beat of a different drum with founder Mark Zuckerburg requesting that the building look anonymous and not flashy from the outside. Walking into Facebook’s headquarters, one may relate the work area to a high school computer lab. Facebook promotes openness and finds that long desks with no walls are a perfect reminder of this.
The workspace in Facebook's headquarters.
For some time the offices were scattered around Palo Alto, CA, differing from its other competitors with campuses, but now a 10-building site in Menlo Park, CA, is what Facebook calls home. Here, recreation rooms for employees are stocked with video games, chessboards, and ping-pong tables. Bars can be found around the office with happy hours arranged by every team and meals are provided daily for the employees offering countless healthy options.
Everything is absolutely free and when the weather is nice the rooftop is open for barbeques and concerts and the company sponsors activities such as Bike to Work Day and Adopt-A-Highway clean-ups for team bonding outside the office. One of the most unique pieces of office equipment is the Facebook Vending Machine, which gives out electrical products such as USB cords or headphones to employees in need.
Facebook employees can get the tech equipment they need no matter the time of day.
The company encourages its employees to pick up a can of paint or a piece of chalk and express themselves through art all over the walls.
The write-on wall at Facebook's headquarters.
Facebook creates an atmosphere that makes the employees feel they never have to leave the office for inspiration, relaxation, or new ideas.
Amazon to look more like the Amazon
Amazon.com is another Internet key player who is looking to expand itself to a more relaxed workplace in hopes of creating a happier and healthier space. Plans for their Seattle headquarters describe a skyscraper next to two bio-dome structures that will act as a lounge and meeting place for employees.
An artist's rendering of Amazon's proposed bio-dome for the Seattle-based office.
Amazon’s goal is to have a peaceful place where employees can talk about work as well as other things, while being surrounded by trees and plants creating a greenhouse feel.
Zappos.com’s WOW Philosophy
Another online company with a unique employee happiness philosophy is Zappos.com. Growing to be one of the largest Internet shoe stores, it’s no surprise that Zappos was acquired by Amazon. CEO, Tony Hsieh, believes that customer service is the number one priority and through his WOW philosophy, Zappos delivers 10 core values that each employee is expected to live and work by. Some of Zappos.com’s core values state employees should be humble, do more with less, and build a positive team and family spirit.
The new Zappos.com office in Las Vegas.
As for the headquarters in Las Vegas, a simple six-minute virtual tour wraps the office up into the third core value; have fun and create a little weirdness. The cubicles speak to the employee sitting in it, with castle cutouts and a crown, stuffed animal monkeys and dangling vines, a bicycle and skateboards hanging from the ceiling, or a simple free hugs box. There’s no doubt the staff at Zappos.com is a little weird and has tons of fun. Employees are greeted by a stocked fridge, free massages, car washes outside, and a laundry and dry cleaning drop off and pick up. Zappos also pampers its hard workers with events like Girls Night Out with a full service beauty bus.
Before you start getting this confused with a prepaid Sandals vacation, keep in mind that Zappos customer service is open 24 hours and 75% of its customers return to the website. Employees pride themselves in the numbers and are known to go to the extent of wearing a pair of shoes with socks of a certain thickness just to be able to call back a customer and describe how it felt after wearing it for a day and if it’s worth the purchase or not. Fortune ranks Zappos at 31 on the “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, but the WOW philosophy definitely has a chance at making to the top with Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon.
Color-coordinated food and bring-your-dog-to-work day at Google
But the most commendable company with the happiest employees is Google, Inc. Newton Cheng, the Fitness Programs Manager for all North America Google offices, says, “We know that if we can help someone be happy, it supports their ability to be innovative and creative,” and the company is no novice when it comes to making employees happy. Starting from a dietary standpoint, Google believes that if healthy snacks are easily accessible employees will choose that over an unhealthy option. And if they get confused, all of the food is color coordinated and spread out from “great choice” to “not so healthy.”
An inside look at Google's cafeteria.
The wellness idea goes beyond diet; Google has fitness facilities that are out of this world. At Googleplex, the headquarters in Mountain View, CA, Google is home to swim-in-place swimming pools equipped with lifeguards, slides, and ladders to get from floor to floor, and a doctor on staff if something were to happen.
Google employees can take a break from their work to swim a few laps in the company pool.
Employees at Google have the option of either walking through the office or taking a slide instead.
Even one of its smaller offices, in New York, is equipped with scooters and standing desks, and the employees there are offered discounted memberships to outside gyms.
On the beauty side, what would work happiness be without free haircuts or subsidized massages! Google encourages employees to step away from their work to play a quick round of billiards or video games, a rest in the “nap pod”, play a round of mini golf, a game of volleyball, or even play with an array of dogs, which are permitted to come into work with employees. Googlers are offered discounted daycare at Woods, the in-house program focusing on the initial interests of the child.
Google employees are allowed to take their dogs to work with them.
Another perk of the Google philosophy is the 20% idea, where employees are encouraged to work on outside projects for 20% of their work week. This gives employees the time to work on personal company-related projects. Gmail, Google News, and Google shuttle buses for employees are all products of the 20% idea. But before you forget about Google’s accomplishments, the 8-foot statues in Google’s backyard are there to remind you. All android system updates are secretly given code names before their release, including “cupcake,” “donut,” “éclair,” “froyo,” “gingerbread,” “honeycomb,” “ice cream sandwich,” and “jelly bean.” Are you catching the trend? Android alphabetically names each model after a dessert; talk about a unique company. Google’s happiness philosophy goes a long way for the employees and customers.
Google gives their system updates code names based on various desserts and then mounts large statues representing each treat on the company's front lawn.
Healthy and happy employees end up saving a company money in the long run on healthcare and boost overall productivity with creative and innovative ideas. Zappos.com’s CEO, Tony Hsieh, says, “At the end of the day, just remember that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff — including building a great brand — will fall into place on its own.” Amazon says, “Leaders start with the customer and work backwards.” Google’s beliefs fit the same mold, “Focus on the user and all else will follow.” The similar work philosophies focus on one aspect and trust that all else will work itself out, and it’s clearly working! Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Zappos, and Google are leading the world with their new ideas, products, and services, but it’s the happiness of the employees, thanks to the atmosphere and philosophy, that trickles down to the customers having positive experiences dealing with the company.
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