Page 108 - The Apple Experience

on these qualities Google seeks to develop motivated and collaborative
employees who pursue achievements not for the money but for the sake of

innovation, progress, and accomplishment. One offshoot of the Google

philosophy is its well-known policy of giving engineers 20 percent time: one

day a week when employees can work on any project of their choosing even if

it has nothing to do with their day-to-day assignments. The social media site

LinkedIn has a similar program. I was invited to speak about communication

skills, and it was open to any employee who wanted to attend. The
presentation was held on a Friday, and I noticed other speakers as well,

representing a wide variety of interests, including a yoga instructor. On one

Friday a month, the company devoted the day to personal growth and

learning. Employees were even encouraged to shadow peers in other

departments who perform different functions. The more you show that you

care, the harder employees will work for you and the more creative they will

be in moving your brand forward.
I had the opportunity to speak with Google’s vice president Marissa

Mayer. She told me that one of the keys to motivating young people

especially is to give them a sense of empowerment and purpose. She said that

employees want more than a paycheck. They want to feel as though they are

contributing to the growth of the company. Mayer holds office hours each

day to help people feel that sense of purpose. Office hours begin at 4:00 p.m.

each day and last for about ninety minutes. Employees add their name to a

board outside her office, and she gives them about fifteen minutes of time.

Sometimes project managers need approval on a marketing campaign or just
a few minutes to pitch their idea. According to Mayer, many of Google’s

most interesting projects got their start during office hours. It gives

employees a voice. They are heard, and sometimes that’s all they’re looking

for.