Entrepreneurship
What Makes a Great Company: 3 Insights from Google
Today, I had the opportunity to participate in Google Day 2020, a Recruitment Event where we students had the chance to interact with real Googlers. The event was virtual due to COVID-19, but it was so phenomenally well-executed that I had to write about it.
Google is a great company. But why? What makes Google great?
I got my answer just 20 minutes after the event started. I believe their success lies in getting 3 factors right:
- People
- Process
- Product
Throughout the event, all the Googlers stressed how people formed the core of the company. This was evident the moment the event began. We were welcomed by Ian, an APAC Recruiter. From the get-go, you could feel his energy and charisma radiating from the screen! He invited us to introduce ourselves, share fun facts about ourselves, and mingle. Immediately, we all felt welcome and included, despite hailing from all around the world, and attending this event from our homes. Next, Atikah, a Diversity Program Manager shared with us about Google’s values — diversity in its people, plenty of growth opportunities and employee programmes that empower its employees.
The people set a wonderful impression, but the process was excellent too. The event was conducted as a YouTube Live event, presumably to ensure as many people could view the stream as possible. What stood out to me most was how respectful they were of our time. The event consisted of 3 sessions, with each session being 45 minutes long. A timer was set at the bottom of the screen for each session, to ensure that every session did not go beyond its stipulated time. This implied that the speaker had to be concise and adjust their presentation on the spot to prevent eating into somebody else’s time.
This practice stood out the most to me. Traditionally, we are taught to tolerate/accept if somebody goes overtime when they are speaking, especially if that person is senior to us. It is a sign of respect to the speaker. Of course, it is even more important to be mindful of somebody’s time if a junior is presenting to a senior member. That senior’s time is more valuable than the junior’s. But what stood out to be was how the respect for time was mutual between the Googlers and us students. The speakers could have extended way beyond time and I’m sure plenty of us would be more than forgiving, because of course we wish to hear Googlers speak! But, they didn’t, out of respect for us and their colleagues who were presenting next. This practice made the strongest impression on me.
Finally, we know Google makes excellent products. But what inspired me even more was how committed every member on the team was to make these products even better. Beyond inclusivity and creativity, there was also a culture of innovation. How could I resolve this when faced with a problem? How could we continue to help our customers better? How could we iterate and improve?
In my opinion, a truly great company is built on getting 3 factors right:
- Hiring the best people
- Developing and optimising processes that benefit all stakeholders and empower them to contribute to the betterment of the company
- Possessing a shared love for its products, with a relentless curiosity on how to make the product better
Sure, other factors make Google an appealing employer. Attractive compensations, extremely beautiful offices with plenty of perks for employees, and amazing food at the cafeteria.
But ultimately, these perks are just noise. Google is such a wonderful company because of their laser-focus on getting these 3 factors right.
