Would you like to work at Google or SAS?

Certainly, the two companies are fine examples of large corporate organizations that put employees wellbeing and satisfaction at the fore front of their decisions. They provide large amount of perks to motivate the employees. This enables them to be satisfied employees and in return motivates them to work harder for the company. We would love to work in such an environment as it is very conducive for a young individual who is entering the workforce. The company will provides us with the tools to be more productive workers, hence improving the performance of the company in return and also us. What do they do to motivate their employees? In this section we will take a close look at the specific actions taken by each company to motivate their employees. Google Space: The Google headquarters at Mountain View, California, is one of the largest offices in the world. It spans 1 million square feet and has 16 buildings in it. The space exudes the free spirit, which is a trademark of the Google brand. By providing lots of space for its employees, it aims to translate the open areas to creative ideas. Food: Food is part of the culture in Google. It provides 18 different cafes ranging from South American food to Asian food. This caters to the diverse group of people working at Google and makes the employees feel at home. The meals are also free for the employees. During the summer, Google moves outside to host barbecues for its employees Fitness: Google also focuses on the fitness of its employees by providing 4 gyms, which are completely free. Personal Trainers work one on one with employees to help them achieve their fitness goals. Special Treatment: Google provides free massages on employees birthday. It is a way of giving the workers a treat on their special day. Rest: Google understands how a nap can make workers more productive. It has placed sleep pods to enable workers to recharge in the day so as to ensure they are fresh and productive. Medical Services: Google provides free medical services for all its employees. By taking care of their health, Google takes care of a very important aspect of its employees lives. Also, healthy workers are more likely to be productive than good workers. Laundry Service: Google employees are able to do their laundry during their workday and it is returned to them by the end of the day. This frees up the Google employees to engage in more productive activities. This is one of the unique services, which is distinct in Google. Car Services: Google allows its employees to run errands on company-owned electric cars, which are environmentally friendly. This not only makes lives of the employees easier but it is also good for the earth. This is in line with Googles unofficial motto Dont be evil.

SAS Flexible Working Hours: SAS encourages its employees to find the best way to complete their task so that they will have more time to be engaged in other activities. It only requires a 35 hour week and it is very flexible on how the employees work. Causal Work Environment: By allowing its workers to have no formal dress code, it enables them to be attired in clothing, which they are most comfortable in. They hope this will translate to more productive workers.

Physical Well Being: SAS offers a 50,000 square feet state of the art fitness center for its employees to be physically active. Dedicated Medical Team: There is a group of medical staff ready to tend to SAS staff and familys medical needs. The services are free but some tests are paid for by the employees although they too are heavily subsidized. Day Care Centers: SAS has a Montessori day care center for the children of SAS employees. The cost of the day care is also very low compared to external services. Furthermore, the day care centers are conveniently located next to the office, which allows parents to have an ease of mind. Work/Life Center: The center provides parents with many social services such as assistance with college application for their children. This allows the parents to be more at ease about family matters and concentrate on their job as they are confident that the company will take care of its various domestic needs. Inspiring Work Environment: With over 3000 artworks around the office, the company aims to inspire its employees by creative association. Country Club Membership: SAS offers country club memberships at a very affordable rate to its employees (US$3000). The membership allows the employees to spend time with their family while enjoying the many benefits and facilities of the club.

How Google and SASs approach can be explained by the motivation theories? Studies have shown that there are several motivation theories and many of them explain SAS and Googles approach. The first well known theory that is relevant to our case is Abrahams Maslow hierarchy of needs theory. According to Maslow, a need is a physiological or psychological deficiency that a person feels the compulsion to satisfy. A satisfied need no longer motivates behavior because people act to satisfy deprived needs. We can find five levels of human needs as we can relate each level to the approach adopted by the two companies: Physiological needs: These are the basic needs that one is looking for as shelter, clothes food and a job. For both Google and SAS employees, this need is satisfied as they all work and have a salary that can ensure a shelter, clothes and food. Also, they provide a variety of food for their employees. Safety needs: These needs can be described as the safety conditions in the job and the security that an employee would want to feel in his job environment. In SAS, a garden for SAS employees insures the security and the well-being of their children. In Google, there is a consultation area where the employees can be examined whenever they are in pain, for free. They also have job insurance. Social needs: It can be best described by the need to have friends to tie relationships and to socialize with others. We can see that both Google and SAS motivate their employees by satisfying this need as we watched in the videos, employees play ping pong, basketball, water polo, yoga and a different kind of team sports where they can socialize. Esteem needs: People feel this need when they want to feel recognition and responsibility. As an example, SAS offers a 90% discount for the country club membership for its employees, they only pay 3000 dollars to be part of the club which shape their social standing in society. Often country club memberships are seen as elevation of social status. Self-actualization need: This need is in the top of the five levels which focus on creativity and challenge. In SAS, 3000 works of arts are displayed all over the company to allow the employees to be more creative. Also, employees can benefits from a sance of massage and yoga that help them relax and be less stressed and more creative.

Another motivation theory that describes Google and SAS approach regarding how they treat their employees is Herzbergs two factors theory, but only one fa ctor can be used in our case which is the

hygiene factor. Those factors are mostly the job salary, working conditions and the job security. Google and SAS do motivate their employees using these factors as we could see in the videos by assuring superior working conditions and a guaranteed job security. The last motivation theory would be McClellands acquired needs theory as it is one of the theories that the two companies follow. According to McClelland, everyone prioritizes needs differently and individuals are not born with these needs, but they are actually learned through life experience. The first need is the need for achievement, need for power and the need for affiliation. All these needs are emphasized in the Googles companys rule. Do you find their system effective and efficient? Why? We believe that the system adopted by Google and SAS is both effective and efficient in achieving certain aims through employee motivation. This is because the measures that both have installed, in order to facilitate a more conducive and pleasant work environment, address specific needs of the employees to help them feel motivated and encouraged to perform. Using Abraham Maslows Heirarchy of Needs pyramid, it can be seen that many of its levels have been solved with an outstanding feature of employment benefits at Google and SAS: food. According to a study conducted by Seamless, an online delivery and takeout service in the U.S. and U.K., out of 1200 employees working in companies of 20 people or more, 60% said that having company-provided food around the office would make them feel more valued and appreciated, while 60% said such free lunches would encourage them to dine with their colleagues, thus satisfying the employees physiological, belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization needs, making them better workers. For their safety needs, there are the free medical and health facilities provided by both companies. Such benefits result in better work life quality and also create engaged workers, driving up efficiency; to quote a study conducted by the University of Warwick on a similar topic, a happy worker is a productive worker. It is noteworthy that both Google and SAS are large-cap companies that have both the financial and management capability to provide motivational systems such as complimentary food and healthcare, even going so far as to provide gymnasiums for their employees physical upkeep. The same systems might not be sustainable for medium to smaller-sized companies.

Can every company be like them? If yes how? If no, what conditions should be there to make this happen? Google and SAS have been successful in driving creativity and productivity by providing a great workplace environment which enables its employees to have a good work-life balance and motivates them to perform at work. We have identified three factors that have to be taken into consideration in determining whether every company can be like them. Firstly, private companies are more likely to be able to emulate Googles and SASs excellent benefits and work-life programmes than public companies. As top management in public companies are accountable to shareholders who focus more on the short term gains, it may be difficult for the management to invest in workplace reconfiguration which offers returns to the company in the long run. It is exactly this reason that Jim Goodnight has been rejecting investment banks which are interested to bring SAS public. Secondly, the industry sector in which the companies are in also plays a vital role in determining if they can be like Google and SAS. Google and SAS are both in the technology industry which places a great deal of emphasis on creativity. Hence they are able to reap huge benefits from offering a great physical space to its employees. However, in the case of investment banks, the type of work space found in Google and SAS may not be suitable for them as investment banks need to portray a professional image to its clients. Lastly, one of the major considerations for every company would be the financial budgetary constraint. It is extremely costly to offer the kind of benefits and workplace environment that Google and SAS. Google, for example, has a whole department dedicated to constantly trying out new things to create the perfect environment for its employees.

Although not every company can be like Google or SAS, most companies can emulate some of Googles and SASs workplace strategies. For example, they could provide catered lunch once a week for the entire company and purchase a monthly stock of snacks and drinks for the office pantry. Employees can also be given the freedom to decorate their work space. The companies could also partner with local businesses to offer free or discounted products and services.