Google Urges Australian Companies to Have a “Chill Out” Work Environment
Google Australia might just be a worker's paradise. The tech giant's headquarters in Sydney is an employee's dream office with facilities and furnishings designed for a stress-free environment.
Google employees are allowed to take a nap in the middle of the day. Those who have coded their way through the night will have the chance to catch up on their much-needed sleep. Company programmers and developers who want to focus on their tasks and want absolute peace and quiet can use any of Google Australia's work pods. The games room is a popular hangout for workers who want to relax and chill out in a game of pool or table tennis.
Google Inc. has been working in an environment like this for many years. The same type of stress-free work environment can also be found in the headquarters of blue chip companies like Facebook, Twitter and Apple.
These companies believe that a stress-free environment can help improve employee productivity and overall work satisfaction. Happy and relaxed workers perform better, solve more problems and think more creatively. These are the kind of workers that will help the company succeed.
It's a practice that companies in New Zealand and Australia could replicate. Google believes in ideal IT policies with better flexibility in work schedules aside from improvements in physical space. The company encourages its employees to use social media during working hours and allow people to work at home.
Industry director for Google Australia, Claire Hatton says, a relaxed work space promotes collaboration between employees. Flexible IT polices make for happier employees resulting in better business.
Google makes it easy for its employees to work and share. The company says this makes a lot of sense since Google believes collaboration is closely associated with innovation. Google offices around the world are designed in such a way as to promote creativity in the workplace.
Hatton names Westpac and Air New Zealand as some of the companies who already know the benefits of a relaxed work environment. These companies have policies in place to acquire information using any device workers have, anytime and anywhere.
Hatton was a guest speaker tackling the results of a research supported by Google. The report's findings suggest that the key to finding skilled workers is a relaxed work space and flexible IT practices. Australia and New Zealand companies can learn a lot about Google's best work practices.