Communications of the ACM
Silicon Valley Offers More Perks Than Ever to Recruit, Retain Talent
Google employees shoot pool at in a break room at the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif.
Credit: Associated Press
Across Silicon Valley, tech companies are building new headquarters and offering an array of perks in order to attract and retain the best and the brightest. It's not just Apple's new "Spaceship Headquarters" or Facebook's "Disney-inspired campus" — new Silicon Valley headquarters or expansions are underway at most of the area's major firms. The leading technology companies are trying to energize their work environments by getting rid of cube farms, investing in facilities to compete for talent, and changing the way offices are laid out. While some critics are mixed on these changes, others say that extraordinary campuses are necessary to recruit and retain top talent and to spark innovation and creativity.
According to tech leaders in Silicon Valley, there are business benefits and financial results for companies that keep their workers happy by investing in new campuses and new perks. For example, the publicly traded 100 Best Companies To Work For in America consistently outperform major stock indices and have more qualified job applicants and higher productivity, according to the San Francisco-based Great Place to Work Institute. Traditional benefits are also part of the new Silicon Valley perks packages, including extra time for paid vacation, full health care, and stock options. The goal is to keep tech workers from worrying about distractions in their lives.
In a competition for the best workers, the variety and level of perks continues to escalate. Some offer childcare on campus, others offer free laundry service or special services for pets. In the buildings, there might be a climbing wall, nap pods, a bowling alley, multiple gyms, and a variety of healthy cafes, mini kitchens, and private classes. It's all part of an effort to create the healthiest, happiest, and most productive work environments possible that inspire collaboration and innovation. Critics counter, however, that the mega-complexes being built today will be hard to staff ten years from now, and that the next era will see smaller workplaces where employees are responsible for meeting achievements and objectives, and have flexibility about when they come in to their office.
From StarTribune
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