How and why to become volunteers Google
Background
It all began quite unexpectedly, in habrapochtu invitation came to attend the second summit panellists product Google. Payment of travel and accommodation company took on themselves. It was tempting in itself, but once I figured out who the leading participants in the program and what a weekend it without hesitation got on a plane and flew to St. Petersburg. And, looking ahead, I will say that not nearly regretted.
Leading participants
However, first things first.
I think many would agree that working in tech support could lead the ratings of the most difficult and thankless . Now imagine that Google people are working in technical support for free, do it in their spare time, and, most importantly, get real pleasure from it. Presented? So I could not, not yet met them in person. Yes, lead actors - these are the most freelance volunteers who day after day patiently help users understand what's what.
Altogether 53 Russian-speaking offices of Google volunteers scattered in different cities: the guys were from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Magnitogorsk, Minsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Riga, Kharkov and Kiev. Each of them is responsible for their portion of the forums, and the choice they make themselves - Adsense, drive, search Analytics - depending on what the soul is, and who more than understands. All participants need a Google publishes on its site, it is possible to apply on becoming the leading participants. For its part, the company provides participants with all the necessary information support as well as encouragement every year arranges the total collection in one of the cities with their office. For example, last year it was the Californian San Jose.
Profportret leading participants
Most of all I was afraid to be in the range of sullen introverts or rabid fanatics, but the guys were not so. Young (25 to 35), many family, successful. Another of the total - a great sense of humor and high loyalty to the company, even late at night after the fifth beer mugs all the talk revolved around the workers with genuine interest.
The program and format of the meeting
Do not know about you, but I'm from the word "summit" yawn. Just seems a large oval table with mineral water and a series of boring ties. Google rips these templates to shreds. Summit on the language Google is more like a weekend with friends: an evening at the pub, a visit to the office, lunch in a restaurant, informal conversations, collective self. Driving impressions of the meeting was that the company is no subordination, all together "you" and only by name. Accepted share with colleagues the knowledge, experience, ask questions, work together to find a solution, discuss achievements, new product output and meet new team members. Degree of friendliness and overall drive rolls.
Office, food and rest
The office occupies the top two floors in the center of St. Petersburg - panoramic windows offer a beautiful view of the city.
In the St. Petersburg branch of Google works just 20 people. Classrooms are more like a small living room, everywhere scattered bean bags and fitball. To move around the office offered scooters. At any time, you can drink coffee - it has three different coffee.
There is a good selection of teas, three types of milk (including soy), and a basket of citrus juicer bargain, trays with snack - bars, bread. All the food is free.
And this is how, for example, looks Lounge:
Communication with employees Google
St. Petersburg office is not much different from other offices Google, scattered throughout the world. Is that a little cozier. Therefore, the orders are the same:
at the device candidates undergo an interview with the head, not only, but also with colleagues; schedule is not fixed - like working at night - health; 20% of the time you can use on their own projects; on training all fly in one of the main offices, for example in Dublin; free food (the menu is and vegan dishes), and the dress code is generally absent (say bankers, neighbors in the business center, complain).
Even at work, you can wash, sleep, exercise or yoga, table tennis and xbox, and sing with a guitar battle chess. In general, after that I call her work remains unclear.
Discussions and reports
The official part of the weave in a series of events unobtrusively and was extremely curious. Staff spoke with stories about a particular product, some experts connect over video via Hangouts, part - specially flown in Peter to lead reports.
We talked about how the current functional and that appear in the next month, six months or a year (oh, would tell you, that I have signed a non-disclosure paper) - from prototyping to application-specific discussion of Google advertising campaigns in Russia. For example, on the same startup Inbox leading participants know in advance.
All very informally and without unnecessary officialdom. Example of a dialogue with one of the heads of department:
- Remember, two years ago, Google services did not work two o'clock in the world? This is because one person in here uploaded the wrong code.
- What happened to him, he was fired?
- As far as I know, in the end, he was promoted. I>
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Each participant was from a list of urgent problems and then the fervor with which each was under discussion, it is not looked like a meeting of the volunteers. They did this not for those letters, they still handed out at the end of the summit. They were really very, very important answers.
The answer to this paradox I searched all weekend. Perhaps the magic is that Google - it is still a great startup that, like a puzzle, made up of the personal initiatives of the people working there. And even if you are an employee outside the state, but you have a good idea, there are no barriers to ensure that tomorrow she has grown into a product that will benefit the entire golden billion.
Source: geektimes.ru/post/240752/