I decided to refer back to two of my previous posts with this week’s blog. The two posts in question are the one about the Millenials, and the other was about the perks which companies offer their employees. I was reading an online article the other day, which can be found here: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1690 which was quite interesting.
I found another article http://www.marketwatch.com/story/playful-perks-propel-google-to-top-of-fortunes-best-workplaces which stated that Google managed to make it into “Fortune’s list of “100 best companies to work for” in the company’s first year as an entrant.” This article is dated 2007, but regardless, it’s still relevant. Google is a remarkable company by almost all aspects. Their stock price was around $100 per share during its IPO. Currently, it trades around $610-$615 per share. Google seems to be involved in almost everything. My wife has a Google cell phone, and I just saw Google TV in Best Buy the other day. I find myself wondering “How did this company do it?”
A big part of how all this was accomplished is because Google has been attracting top talent for years. This was in part due to the laundry list of perks offered by the company, some of which seem a bit unorthodox, such as providing nap rooms and allowing employees to play video games via company-provided Xbox’s and Playstations during breaks. There are quite a few other companies out there that offer perks like Google, two of which are Apple and Atari. I imagine that these types of perks appear quite appealing to Millenials and this is why these companies attract the top talent in this age group.
While these perks seem to make really good business sense in terms of the success of these companies, it also brings up some other issues that may not be apparent. It was noted in one of the articles that these perks are often provided in order to get employees to spend more time at work. More time at work means less time with family and loved ones. It also means less time doing recreational activities which I think are essential to a productive work-life balance.
I’ve always been the type of person who “turns the switch off” when he leaves work. When I walk out that door, I don’t typically think about work until I arrive there the next morning. Personally, I think that’s the perfect balance. I don’t think I should be worrying about work when I’m at home with my loved ones nor when I’m out doing the activities I love, such as fly fishing. This isn’t always the case, but I strive to make it so. Not that I don’t enjoy my job, I certainly do. I enjoy it when I tell someone what I do for a living and they genuinely find it interesting. I find my job extremely rewarding. But at the same time, I don’t think you can put a price on your personal time, nor your family time.
Interesting thought – I also am the same way. When I get home, I’m done worrying about work until the next work day. It is a good balance but sometimes I want something more. I’m surrounded by people who work for themselves and often spend more than 40 hours a week working but they really enjoy what they do. My uncle creates redware pottery and makes a living out of it. Once or twice a month, my uncle has a pottery show at his shop and people travel from all over to buy it. Search for Foltz pottery in google if you want to check it out. A friend of mine works for a small programming company and he is taking on a brand new client. He’s going to have to do a lot more than a 40-hour work week.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: a work-life balance is important but it is also important to have work that fulfills your goals in life. Hopefully I’ll get there soon!