Who Does All the Hard Work at Google?

When asked about your current job, it is almost compulsory to say: "it is fine", but I am looking for something better.

The Ernst & Young employees can say, I want to work for Google. But what would a Google employee say? Fortune's list of the best employers has been topped by Google for several consecutive years.

But, why do we all like Google? Probably for the same reason we like Christmas, or weddings. At either event, you are sure to gain something for little effort, which motivates us to participate and contribute towards the collective wealth.

At Christmas, children are asked to decorate the tree and adults are expected to bring their parents handy gifts such as a new baking oven. By offering a helping hand you can make a fortune - tons of cakes and sweets for the children, for example. The same applies to weddings. What do the adults look for at weddings? Maybe we should ask Owen Wilson.

There is a parallel with Google, every individual's work is appreciated and rewarded in the form of the free ice rink, medical care, holiday, take-away vouchers or coverage of further education. But the question is, if all the employees can enjoy the benefits, who does the hard work?

I would say that Larry Page and Sergey Bryn came up with a great idea for how to make a lot of money through a simple thing. Everyone needs some kind of information and only Google knows everything. (Although some might claim that sometimes it has to consult Chuck Norris).

The devil is in getting the job at Google. The applicants must go through five rounds of interviews. Instead of moving onto a better position, we should start thinking about our own revolutionary ideas. Maybe, I can google a manual on how to invent a social network...

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who lived in London for much of his graduate life. Read more of his posts here.

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