Google ranked best company to work for, again
The search giant -- and maker of Android -- is the best company to work for, according to Fortune magazine.
This might not come as a huge surprise, but Google has been ranked the best company to work for by Fortune magazine. For the fourth time.
What could it be about the Big G that makes it such an appealing employer? Could it be the fact it gave its employees 100,000 hours of subsidised massages last year? The three wellness centres and seven-acre sports complex which are both new, and include a roller hockey rink, courts for basketball, bocce (a bit like boules), and shuffle ball, as well as horseshoe pits? Yes, horseshoe pits. Makes a change from dress-down Friday I suppose.
Of course, the fact it made just shy of $38 billion (£24 billion) in revenue in 2011 can't hurt. Nor can the fact its employee benefits continue after its workers have expired. There's also a slide in one of its offices, from the look of the Fortune feature. Maybe that's what did it.
Google is investing in the UK in a big way, too. It's just acquired a 2.4-acre site in London's King's Cross, where it'll locate its UK headquarters. Seven- and 11-storey complexes will house employees who'll move from the company's Victoria and Holborn bases. The new site won't be finished until 2016.
According to Google's Matt Brittin, the move is "good news for Google, London and the UK. This is a big investment by Google. We're committing further to the UK, where computing and the web were invented," Brittin added.
Google will start building on the site near the end of the year.
Which other tech companies are good to work for? Qualcomm came in at number 11 on Fortune's list, Cisco at 42, Intel was placed 68, and Microsoft 72.
Would you like to work for Google? Is it sticking to its 'Don't be evil' pledge? And what's the best work perk you've ever had? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.