Google is glorious. Or is it?
We have all heard the tales of how glorious it is to work at Google. Employees can bring their pets, there is a transportation system in place and, oh yeah, you get to be apart of one of the most utilized brands in the world.
But, as we all know, no situation, especially work situation, is ever perfect. There will always be that one guy you cannot stand or that one department that does not function as effectively as it should.
These elements are as true for any run-of-the-mill office as they are for the pristine offices of Google. Current and former employees of the tech giant have recently expressed some aggravations they have had while working for the company.
One of the biggest complaints: everyone’s overqualified
A major discrepancy is one that many of us may not have to deal with in our day-to-day jobs – everyone is almost too smart. This creates an entire new realm of competition as Google employees are up against some of the best brains in the business.
This warrants the complaint that they care hire the best of the best, making everyone overqualified. According to a former engineer, “There are enough talented people that being talented won’t guarantee you an inside track on good projects, because there are thousands of equally smart people ahead in the queue and equally underutilized”.
Other employees complained that there is no such thing as time off
They claim that the benefits of working at Google are an illusion and that their perks are a way to keep you at the office and keep you on track. A culture has been created that an employee feels it is necessary to work on weekends or vacations, though they are not specifically told to.
While on the subject of culture, an employee complained that, while in the office, the culture can be immature. They refer to the office as a “never-never land” where people refuse to grow up. This person claims that employees constantly socialize, drink throughout the day, play games, and, as a result, get little to no work done.
Diversity is a unique challenge, but for less obvious reasons
Diversity is also said to be an issue as an employee expressed that Google only hires the same type of person from the same handful of schools, backgrounds, etc. “It’s no exaggeration to say that I met 100 triathletes in my three years at Google. Only a handful of them were interesting people,” stated an anonymous employee.
Among other complaints were that vague promises are often made; employees should get everything in writing so that Google holds up their end of the bargain. In addition, while it is a big company, some feel that the pace is slower than a start-up.
Hard to effect change
Due to the size, employees have complained that is difficult for one person to make an impact on the company. “Unless you are an amazingly talented engineer who gets to create something new, chances are you’re simply a guy/girl with an oil can greasing the cogs of that machine.”
This is in no way saying that Google is a company that treats their employees poorly. It is merely a reminder that no job or company is perfect and there is always room for improvement when it comes to workplace satisfaction.
