Things I learnt about Google today

People love to love Google – it is an aspirational employer, which is always topping the “best places to work” lists here and in the US with its commitment to work spaces.

At the recent Optus Business Technology Seminar however, I learned more about Google’s commitment to workplaces – work can and does happen everywhere and anywhere. Google itself does not have enough desks for the number of people who they employ. There is a fundamental shift on what work looks like and where it takes place.

A few facts: Google is the fourth largest server manufacturer in the world (and they have never sold one). They are also the third largest IP network in the world.

Interesting to listen to Stuart McLean Head of Enterprise in Australia and NZ as he shared how Google’s purpose to “organise and manage the worlds information” drives its innovation and product development. Included in that is the Google Enterprise, established to support businesses organise and manage the businesses information. As McLean pointed out much of the planet’s information is still housed on people’s hard drives (Google can’t help manage or organise it if it stays on those hard drives.)

Google has come up with the notion of “100% web'”, which means that information is stored remotely on massive servers, but can be accessed from any device anywhere. If the device gets destroyed it doesn’t matter because the real value is in the data, which is remote and therefore not destroyed. A PC, smartphone and tablet all act as an access mechanism to the data. This by definition is what cloud computing is all about.

“Work is not a place, it’s a thing you do – and you can do it anywhere.” Apparently 85% of new jobs created between 1998-2006 are involved in knowledge work of some sort – like problem solving or connecting people.

The workspace is transformed to a place where people come together to connect “the tribe’s place”. “Telecommuting can reduce a businesses real estate costs by 20% and payroll by 10%,” McLean said.

As the notion of how work takes place evolves, I believe that the investment made in ensuring people are connected, aligned and have a shared sense of purpose is critical to peoples’ wellbeing. The challenge for organisations is how to celebrate peoples’ contribution, recognise them and also to recognise teams, when they may be dispersed across the globe.

As the world becomes smaller “in the future each and every job will be completed by people from around the world”. The world is flat, as we can see with the massive growth in businesses like freelancer.com.

McLean summarised:

• Innovation is not installed.
• Attachments are so last century.
• Think mobile first.
• Team effort and collaboration is the future.
• Manage the information coming at you – cleverly.
• Relationships not contacts.

One thing I do know is that the work places my children enter will be vastly different than the places I started my career – “so last century”.

Naomi Simson is considered one of Australia’s ‘Best Bosses’. She is an employee engagement advocate and practices what she preaches in her own business. RedBalloon has been named as one of only six Hewitt Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand for 2009 and awarded an engagement scorecard of over 90% two years in a row – the average in Australian businesses is 55%. RedBalloon has also been nominated by BRW as being in the top 10 Best Places to Work in Australia behind the likes of Google. One of Australia’s outstanding female entrepreneurs, Naomi regularly entertains as a passionate speaker inspiring people on employer branding, engagement and reward and recognition. Naomi writes a blog and is a published author – and has received many accolades and awards for the business she founded – RedBalloon.com.au.