Google is famous for throwing tons of perks at its employees.
• The tech giant's company benefits currently have a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Glassdoor .
• Current and former Googlers especially praise the free food and 401k plan.
Employees can play arcade games at Google's office in Chicago
It's no secret that Google has been one of the best companies to work for in recent years.
Employees of the tech giant consistently report high levels of job satisfaction, are very well-compensated, and work on meaningful projects in a supportive environment. Historically, they also enjoy some of the best perks we've heard of, from paid maternity and paternity leave to the company's incredibly thoughtful "death benefits" policy. INSIDER spoke to seven Googlers who shared what their favorite perks are in 2017. Here's a closer look. The views expressed below are those of Google's employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company itself.
The breakfast bar at Google's campus in Washington
While many companies offer its employees an array of snacks, Google's employees have access to campus cafes, micro kitchens, and endless options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One Googler, a software engineer who works on Search Infrastructure, told INSIDER, "This is silly, but of all the food that they give us [...] one of my favorites is the chocolate mousse in the La Place cafe. It's served every day at lunch, and it's absolutely heavenly. Sometimes I'll stash away some mousse for a mid-afternoon 'mousse break' with co-workers." More importantly, the free food lets employees "cut down on personal costs significantly," said a former intern and incoming full-time employee at Googleplex — the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California.
KitchenSync at Google's Mountain View campus
According to the Googler working on Search Infrastructure, Google also offers free cooking classes and team building workshops at various offices across the US. "One of my favorite classes was Pad Kee Mao. Beyond learning to cook new things, it's also a great opportunity to meet new people in the office outside of those you work with, or getting to know your teammates better," the software engineer said.
The gym at Google's office in NYC
"We have an on-site gym that's open to all Googlers 24/7 (well, whenever the building is open). While the gym is super nice, what's even better is the classes that they offer — there's a wide array of classes offered throughout the day," said the Search Infrastructure engineer, who enjoys going to boxing and barre classes, specifically.
Massage at Google's office
Many Google offices have highly-trained massage therapists who can help employees relax when they're feeling particularly tense or stressed.
According to a software engineer in Google's NYC office, employees receive a certain number of free massage points that they can use to "buy" different types of massages. Employees can also earn more massage points in various ways or buy more at a steep discount.
In some offices, Google also offers on-site "wellness and healthcare services" from physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists, in addition to massage therapists.
13 incredible perks of working at Google, according to employees
Employees can play arcade games at Google's office in Chicago, IL.M. Spencer Green/AP
It's no secret that Google has been one of the best companies to work for in recent years.
Employees of the tech giant consistently report high levels of job satisfaction, are very well-compensated, and work on meaningful projects in a supportive environment.
Historically, they also enjoy some of the best perks we've heard of, from paid maternity and paternity leave to the company's incredibly thoughtful "death benefits" policy.
INSIDER spoke to seven Googlers who shared what their favorite perks are in 2017. Here's a closer look.
The views expressed below are those of Google's employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company itself.
Perhaps one of Google's most well-known perks, employees can eat every meal at work for free — and save a ton of money.
While many companies offer its employees an array of snacks, Google's employees have access to campus cafes, micro kitchens, and endless options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
One Googler, a software engineer who works on Search Infrastructure, told INSIDER, "This is silly, but of all the food that they give us [...] one of my favorites is the chocolate mousse in the La Place cafe. It's served every day at lunch, and it's absolutely heavenly. Sometimes I'll stash away some mousse for a mid-afternoon 'mousse break' with co-workers."
More importantly, the free food lets employees "cut down on personal costs significantly," said a former intern and incoming full-time employee at Googleplex — the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California.
In addition to the free food, employees can also take free cooking classes to learn how to make new dishes or bond with their teammates.
According to the Googler working on Search Infrastructure, Google also offers free cooking classes and team building workshops at various offices across the US.
"One of my favorite classes was Pad Kee Mao. Beyond learning to cook new things, it's also a great opportunity to meet new people in the office outside of those you work with, or getting to know your teammates better," the software engineer said.
Googlers can attend or help organize Talks at Google — a program that lets employees bring in speakers who interest them.
The software engineer also told INSIDER about the diverse range of speakers that come in to talk to Google employees. This includes authors discussing their newly-released books, Broadway casts or creative teams chatting about their experiences, chef giving demonstrations, and more. Celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Ryan Reynolds have also graced the Talks at Google stage.
She added:
"This is one of my favorite perks because the speakers they bring in are always very interesting and compelling. I personally love when the cast/creative teams of shows will come in (Josh Groban was here a few weeks ago for Great Comet, and there's a panel in a week or so filled with the some of the 2017 Tony nominees), but I've also attended some very eye-opening and thought-provoking talks — for example, Nikole Hannah-Jones came a few months ago to discuss modern day segregation in the public school system."
The good news? Even if you're not a Google employee, you can catch most of the Talks on YouTube here.
They can also stay fit and save time by exercising at on-site gyms and attending free workout classes.
"We have an on-site gym that's open to all Googlers 24/7 (well, whenever the building is open). While the gym is super nice, what's even better is the classes that they offer — there's a wide array of classes offered throughout the day," said the Search Infrastructure engineer, who enjoys going to boxing and barre classes, specifically.
Googlers also reap the benefits of working at some of the most unique and beautiful offices in the world.
From Ontario to Zurich, Google's playful offices are an amazing perk in and of themselves.
One Googler we spoke to, a part-time Google Maps freelancer for 1.5 years, loved the views from the outdoor patio space of Google's office in New York City.
Many Google offices have highly-trained massage therapists who can help employees relax when they're feeling particularly tense or stressed.
According to a software engineer in Google's NYC office, employees receive a certain number of free massage points that they can use to "buy" different types of massages. Employees can also earn more massage points in various ways or buy more at a steep discount.
In some offices, Google also offers on-site "wellness and healthcare services" from physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists, in addition to massage therapists.
At certain Google campuses, employees can take free shuttles to and from work every day.
One employee at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, described the shuttle system as "incredibly robust." He added:
"Having fast, free, and accessible transportation five days a week is game-changing, especially since California's public transport system is subpar, to say the least. All the shuttles are air-conditioned, and wi-fi enabled. Not only does it make commuting back and forth to work flexible, but I can even take the bus to [San Francisco] (instead of the one home) in the evening if I want to go to the city, or the bus to Berkeley to visit friends."
Overall, employees are encouraged to have a healthy work-life balance, and to do "good and interesting things."
When asked about her favorite perks, one employee who has been at Google for five years told INSIDER that she really appreciates not having to worry about her "basic needs in life."
In addition to "being fed well" and "having great health insurance," however, she also likes that Google's perks "actually encourage" employees to have a good balance between their work and personal lives.
For example, Google offers employees education subsidies and generous tuition reimbursement.
As a general policy, Google is committed to supporting its employees "in doing what [they] love" — whether that's through on-site coding classes, degree programs, guitar lessons, or more.
In the past, the company has also been known for its "20% time" policy which reportedly encouraged Googlers to use 20% of their time to pursue passion projects on the side.
Employees also receive discounts at "a number of museums and events," according to the Googler who has been at the company for five years.
Not only does Google foster an inclusive environment, the company also encourages employees to participate as a group in various community service programs.
The five-year Googler also told INSIDER about how Google matches its employees' donations to charities. According to Google, the company will donate even more when employees volunteer at nonprofits or use environmentally-friendly ways (for example, by foot or bike) to get to work.
In addition, every June, Google encourages employees to come together and participate in GoogleServe — a day in which Googlers volunteer in service projects in their communities. The company even helps match employees to specific nonprofits based on their skills and allows them to use up to 20 hours of work time each year to volunteer.
Thanks to the company's resources and industry-leading technology, working at Google is an amazing perk in and of itself.
Benefits aside, the five-year Googler also provided some insight into why the company's employees experience such high job satisfaction and fulfillment:
"I find it really valuable to be at a company where software is built at a massive scale. We have access to tools, infrastructure, and really smart people that you just can't get anywhere else. You feel like you're always learning, and any project has the potential to make a huge impact on the world."
The talent pool at Google is no joke, and employees get to collaborate and learn from some of the smartest and most innovative minds in the tech world.
As one Googler put it, "This may sound cliche, but the best perk truly is the people. I've never been at a place that has been so humbling, and where there is so much opportunity to learn and grow."
"This really hit me when I was working on Google Search and the code reviewer offered some extremely insightful tips for optimizing my code. When I asked him where he learned them, he said he worked on them, as in he actually worked on that section of the Java language," she added, "woah."
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