software engineer

senior software engineer

program manager

product manager

intern

Google

There is a strong divide between working as a contractor for Google vs being an employee. It was like being at the fence of the garden of Eden, looking in at happy Googlers, while sitting just out of reach. Being a Google employee, a "white badger", is great. Being a contractor (or TVC as Google calls us) can range from honestly very great, to terrible. If you're a developer who is a contractor, or a manager, life is pretty good. But if you're a worker bee, it's rough. The maps people possibly have the worst of it.

The Google divide is becomes quickly, starkly obvious just after starting. There is no health insurance, and no paid time off when working as a Google Maps surveyor (or any TVC). Traveling extensively, often no where interesting, and staying over the weekend with no option to return home for weeks at a time made this job very hard for me, especially because I have a family. Vacations, even short ones, where highly detrimental to putting food on the table and paying rent.

Google gave me a corporate credit card to pay for daily meals, which was good. BUT the card was heavily micromanaged with daily and weekly reports due for its use. Even though it had a daily expenditure cap. But I was never allowed to gain points for purchases, while my managers quickly become diamond Hilton members making reservations for me... A very clear double standard. You are also expected to enter business spaces and survey but without permission from business and business owners, which didn't sit well with me. 

It was also falsely advertised as 50-75% travel, but was actually closer to 92.5 percent travel. I counted the days I spent with my wife, I spent about 35 days with her over a year. When I asked about this, I was informed the nature of the work changed since I was hired, and I could quit or continue working. (The nature hadn't changed, it was like that from day 1.)

It was very easy to be fired. Once, this is true, a surveyor accidentally bumped into a Google employee while passing the employee in a hallway. That TVC was fired within ten minutes, because the employee thought it was done on purpose. Another TVC made a joke an employee didn't like, and security literally showed up and escorted that person to their hotel, packed their bags, and brought them to the airport. TVC are constantly criticized my Google managers and TVC managers on the quality of their work. Any dip in "numbers and metrics" usually foreshadowed a reprimand. So a lot of TVC falsified their work to have high numbers, which made honest employees look like slackers. But the "top performers" where not questioned. This really caused a toxic work environment. 

Management rarely reached out except to criticize, and frankly couldn't remember TVC names most of the time.

Performance reviews were strange. Many questions were asked, but one question was always asked. Managers constantly asked TVCs is they were "happy", which everyone automatically answered "yes", regardless of the honest of that. Google has a strange was of equating "happiness" to "job performance". While it's true happy employees work better, that doesn't mean honestly unhappy ones aren't working well. But everyone who admitted to being "unhappy" was let go within a month or two.

Fellow TVCs are delusional. Many TVC claim to be Google employees, but become notably distressed when unable to attend Google events, and TVC managers are vindictive when other TVC point out that "we are all TVCs." Many falsely claim to be Google employees on their linkedin profiles. When the job is particularly bad, TVC offer each other reassurance that "at least they can put Google on their resume", which is just sad. 

Google managers are removed from the TVC reality. When going to Brazil, I requested emergency medical supplies, which was denied, because Brazil "wasn't a safety concern according to the Google Security Team." While sitting at gunpoint, briefly hostage in a favela, I was relieved that I purchased the kit myself. When we finally notified our Google manager of our near death experience, his response was, "I'm in meetings all day, sounds like you guys are alive and took care of it."

Not having insurance become a big problem too. Due to the laws of probability, I was put in several situations where people tried to actually murder me, either through vehicular homicide while driving, and once at gun point. All in less than a year. Being a combat veteran myself, having some one trying to kill me isn't new. What was new was having zero safety net for my family should I die. And having fellow Americans (or in some cases, Brazilians) trying to kill me.

There was zero protection for women. Several of the female surveyors were nearly sexually assaulted or robbed when working in bad areas. All surveyors are put in situations of questionable safety, but being female seemed to attract even more than usual trouble.

Overall, between the micromanagement, danger, and time away from home, this was a miserable job. I don't recommend it.

If health and life insurance, and paid time off were part of the job, it would have been a better.

Productive and fun workplace, Pros

1) Food, food, food. 15+ cafes on main campus (MTV) alone. Mini-kitchens, snacks, drinks, free breakfast/lunch/dinner, all day, errr'day.

2) Benefits/perks. Free 24:7 gym access (on MTV campus). Free (self service) laundry (washer/dryer) available. Bowling alley. Volley ball pit. Custom-built and exclusive employee use only outdoor sport park (MTV). Free health/fitness assessments. Dog-friendly. Etc. etc. etc.

3) Compensation. In ~2010 or 2011, Google updated its compensation packages so that they were more competitive.

4) For the size of the organization (30K+), it has remained relatively innovative, nimble, and fast-paced and open with communication but, that is definitely changing (for the worse).

5) With so many departments, focus areas, and products, *in theory*, you should have plenty of opportunity to grow your career (horizontally or vertically). In practice, not true.

6) You get to work with some of the brightest, most innovative and hard-working/diligent minds in the industry. There's a "con" to that, too (see below).

Cons

1) Work/life balance. What balance? All those perks and benefits are an illusion. They keep you at work and they help you to be more productive. I've never met anybody at Google who actually time off on weekends or on vacations. You may not hear management say, "You have to work on weekends/vacations" but, they set the culture by doing so - and it inevitably trickles down. I don't know if Google inadvertently hires the work-a-holics or if they create work-a-holics in us. Regardless, I have seen way too many of the following: marriages fall apart, colleagues choosing work and projects over family, colleagues getting physically sick and ill because of stress, colleagues crying while at work because of the stress, colleagues shooting out emails at midnight, 1am, 2am, 3am. It is absolutely ridiculous and something needs to change.

2) Poor management. I think the issue is that, a majority of people love Google because they get to work on interesting technical problems - and these are the people that see little value in learning how to develop emotional intelligence. Perhaps they enjoy technical problems because people are too "difficult." People are promoted into management positions - not because they actually know how to lead/manage, but because they happen to be smart or because there is no other path to grow into. So there is a layer of intelligent individuals who are horrible managers and leaders. Yet, there is no value system to actually do anything about that because "emotional intelligence" or "adaptive leadership" are not taken seriously.

3) Jerks. Sure, there are a lot of brilliant people - but, sadly, there are also a lot of jerks (and, many times, they are one and the same). Years ago, that wasn't the case. I don't know if the pool of candidates is getting smaller, or maybe all the folks with great personalities cashed out and left, or maybe people are getting burned out and it's wearing on their personality and patience. I've heard stories of managers straight-up cussing out their employees and intimidating/scaring their employees into compliance.

4) It's a giant company now and, inevitably, it has become slower moving and is now layered with process and bureaucracy. So many political battles, empire building, territory grabbing. Google says, "Don't be evil." But, that practice doesn't seem to be put into place when it comes to internal practices. :(

Advice to Management

1) Don't dismiss emotional intelligence and adaptive leadership. They're not just catch phases. You need great managers and leaders in order to build great companies and develop great employees. The people who may be brilliant at solving technical issues may not be (and are most often, not) the best candidates for management.

2) Do something about that work-ife balance. Don't just have a bunch of pow-wows and tech talks and discussions about it. Leadership should actually model it. Consider re-evaluating how work is done; what processes are in place that are inefficient and ineffective and need to be updated or removed?

3) Don't forget that there is already a pool of incredibly talented people within the company. If career development is really a goal at Google, then do it. Don't just hire from the outside. Take the time to help your employees develop their careers - then maybe you won't lose some of the great ones, and maybe you'll have prevent some of that burn out and disillusionment.

Pros

1) Food, food, food. 15+ cafes on main campus (MTV) alone. Mini-kitchens, snacks, drinks, free breakfast/lunch/dinner, all day, errr'day.

2) Benefits/perks. Free 24:7 gym access (on MTV campus). Free (self service) laundry (washer/dryer) available. Bowling alley. Volley ball pit. Custom-built and exclusive employee use only outdoor sport park (MTV). Free health/fitness assessments. Dog-friendly. Etc. etc. etc.

3) Compensation. In ~2010 or 2011, Google updated its compensation packages so that they were more competitive.

4) For the size of the organization (30K+), it has remained relatively innovative, nimble, and fast-paced and open with communication but, that is definitely changing (for the worse).

5) With so many departments, focus areas, and products, *in theory*, you should have plenty of opportunity to grow your career (horizontally or vertically). In practice, not true.

6) You get to work with some of the brightest, most innovative and hard-working/diligent minds in the industry. There's a "con" to that, too (see below).

Cons

1) Work/life balance. What balance? All those perks and benefits are an illusion. They keep you at work and they help you to be more productive. I've never met anybody at Google who actually time off on weekends or on vacations. You may not hear management say, "You have to work on weekends/vacations" but, they set the culture by doing so - and it inevitably trickles down. I don't know if Google inadvertently hires the work-a-holics or if they create work-a-holics in us. Regardless, I have seen way too many of the following: marriages fall apart, colleagues choosing work and projects over family, colleagues getting physically sick and ill because of stress, colleagues crying while at work because of the stress, colleagues shooting out emails at midnight, 1am, 2am, 3am. It is absolutely ridiculous and something needs to change.

2) Poor management. I think the issue is that, a majority of people love Google because they get to work on interesting technical problems - and these are the people that see little value in learning how to develop emotional intelligence. Perhaps they enjoy technical problems because people are too "difficult." People are promoted into management positions - not because they actually know how to lead/manage, but because they happen to be smart or because there is no other path to grow into. So there is a layer of intelligent individuals who are horrible managers and leaders. Yet, there is no value system to actually do anything about that because "emotional intelligence" or "adaptive leadership" are not taken seriously.

3) Jerks. Sure, there are a lot of brilliant people - but, sadly, there are also a lot of jerks (and, many times, they are one and the same). Years ago, that wasn't the case. I don't know if the pool of candidates is getting smaller, or maybe all the folks with great personalities cashed out and left, or maybe people are getting burned out and it's wearing on their personality and patience. I've heard stories of managers straight-up cussing out their employees and intimidating/scaring their employees into compliance.

4) It's a giant company now and, inevitably, it has become slower moving and is now layered with process and bureaucracy. So many political battles, empire building, territory grabbing. Google says, "Don't be evil." But, that practice doesn't seem to be put into place when it comes to internal practices. :(

Working as a software engineer at Google in Los Angeles has been nothing short of a dream come true. From the moment I walked through the doors of Google's Los Angeles office, I knew I was in for an extraordinary journey, and it has exceeded my wildest expectations in every way.

Cutting-Edge Technology: Google is at the forefront of technological innovation, and as a software engineer, I have had the privilege of working with the latest and greatest tools, frameworks, and technologies. The commitment to staying at the cutting edge of the industry is evident in every project we tackle.

Collaborative Culture: The collaborative culture at Google is second to none. I've had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented and diverse teams, each member bringing their unique perspective to the table. The emphasis on teamwork fosters creativity and ensures that we deliver the best possible solutions to complex problems.

Work-Life Balance: Google understands the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. While we are encouraged to work hard and strive for excellence, there is also a strong emphasis on taking care of one's well-being. Flexible work hours, remote work options, and an array of wellness programs contribute to a supportive and balanced environment.

Professional Growth: Google is committed to the professional growth of its employees. The plethora of resources available, including internal training, workshops, and opportunities to attend industry conferences, has been instrumental in my career development. Additionally, the 20% time policy, where employees are encouraged to spend a portion of their workweek on personal projects, fosters creativity and innovation.

Impactful Work: Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a software engineer, I feel a strong sense of purpose in the work I do. Knowing that my contributions have a global impact is incredibly rewarding.

Compensation and Benefits: Google offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision coverage, as well as generous stock options. The company also provides perks such as free meals, transportation benefits, and on-site fitness facilities.

Diversity and Inclusion: Google is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The company actively promotes diversity through various programs and initiatives, fostering an environment where employees from all backgrounds can thrive.

Community Engagement: Google encourages employees to give back to the community through various volunteer programs and philanthropic initiatives. This commitment to social responsibility aligns with my personal values and makes me proud to be a part of the Google team.

Working as a software engineer at Google in Los Angeles has been an incredible experience. It's a place where innovation, collaboration, and personal growth are not just encouraged but celebrated. If you have the opportunity to join this dynamic team, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Google's commitment to excellence, coupled with the vibrant tech scene in Los Angeles, creates an environment where you can truly make a difference while pursuing your passion for technology.

Google is a company that offers opportunities to work with cutting-edge technologies, providing a stimulating environment for those passionate about innovation. The overall work culture can vary significantly depending on the specific organization and team within the company.

Key Observations:

Technological Innovation: Employees at Google have the chance to engage with and contribute to advanced technological projects, making it an attractive place for individuals seeking to work on the forefront of their field.

Management Challenges: A recurring theme identified is that management can sometimes present an obstacle to challenging the status quo. This suggests that pushing for new ideas or different approaches may require navigating managerial resistance in certain areas.

Varied Work Culture: The work culture at Google is not monolithic; it is highly dependent on the specific organization and team. This means that individual experiences can differ widely, from highly collaborative and supportive environments to those that may be less conducive to innovation or open discussion.

Recommendations for Prospective Employees:

If you are considering a role at Google, it is highly advisable to:

Assess Team Fit: Prioritize asking detailed "fit" questions during your interview process. Engage with your potential manager, team lead, and future colleagues to gauge interpersonal dynamics and management styles. This proactive approach can provide a strong indicator of potential interpersonal issues and overall team compatibility.

Evaluate Technical Autonomy: Exercise caution and potentially avoid teams where management tends to dictate technical decisions without sufficient input from the team. A healthy environment fosters technical autonomy and collaborative problem-solving.

Seek Substantive Leadership: Be wary of teams where management provides simplistic answers lacking substance or attempts to replicate past successes based on superficial ideas. Look for leaders who encourage deep thinking, thorough analysis, and genuine innovation rather than just imitation.

Conclusion:

Google can be an excellent company to work for, provided you find the right team that aligns with your professional aspirations and working style. It is crucial not to rush into accepting the first offer from a team without thorough due diligence. Should you find yourself in a less-than-ideal team, do not be discouraged; internal team transfers are generally possible after a minimum tenure in a role, despite any contrary information you might encounter.

I interviewed in 2018, graduated college in 2019, and began working at Google during the summer of 2019 as part of the Engineering Residency Program.

There were a lot of highly educated, highly skilled people, and I always felt lost by comparison. After 8 weeks of initial engineering residency, training, I joined Google Play. After an initial ramp-up, things went great, and my performance met expectations.

As part of the Engineering Residency Program, I had the opportunity to switch to a different team on Google Maps. A friend of mine from Google Play advised me to switch. After switching, I began the ramp-up again with the new team.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and the whole corporate world was in disarray, organizations reorganized, workers worked remotely, and productivity took a big hit. Google maps is dependent on users physically going places, which decreased drastically during lockdowns. My project was also impacted.

I passed Engineering Residency, and was matched to a different Google Maps team. I was assigned a very complex project using a large amount of new processes and technologies that I was unfamiliar. Much of this tech was insufficiently documented. I was expected to complete this project mostly alone, and the default assumption most people had is that this project was simple and an employee is expected to complete their work independently with little help. I had to ramp-up remotely, and was also assigned additional extra projects while working on the main project, which slowed me down further.

After a year I burned out mentally. My manager was understanding at first, but he had to deal with negative performance, and eventually lost patience. So I chose to leave.

Lessons Learned:
1) Working in-person in much better for new employees, and those who need to learn complicated things fast.
2) Asking for too much help will make you seem incompetent, but asking for too little help will make things take longer, and also make you seem incompetent. Google's SWE expectations emphasize making a large impact, independently, in a short amount of time.
3) In complicated industries, sometimes figuring out how to do things is harder than actually doing them.
4) Working with interesting people is motivating. Working remotely is not.
5) When working from home, your home environment and situation is extremely important to success or failure. This can ruin or enrich your job.
6) Success in Software Engineering depends on the ability to master numerous complicated and changing things very quickly, and leverage these things to create an impact that is visible to the stakeholders and management.




Overview: Working for Google Express has been a great learning experience.  I have grown in many ways with a lot of different people.  I learned how to lead a team and plan a successful work day, as well as input my previous experiences from other jobs into this one which helped me excel into the position I am currently in.  

Job Description:  Google Express is a same day delivery service that caters to stores such as Target, Walgreens, Costco, and other retailers.  The area of Google Express that I work in is in the warehouse where drivers pick up customer orders (parcels) and brings them to the warehouse to be sorted, stowed, picked and given to courier drivers to be delivered.

Typical Day:  I would help open the warehouse we work in and take attendance of operators within the shift.  I would then obtain the assets needed for a successful work day i.e smartphones, barcode scanners and laptop computers.  As soon as I complete that, I assign operators to each of the three work zones: Inbound, Outbound and Prep & Stow based on each individual's physical abilities as well computer knowledge and abilities to carry out tasks required.  Throughout the day,  I would monitor, as well as help any zone that need back up during our rushes.  I mostly supervise the operators and solve any problems that arise as well as guide them in the right direction and train them along the way.

Management:  I have had dealings with several managers throughout my time on the project and they all have one thing in common:  micromanaging.  In my opinion, a leader is one who joins their workers throughout the day.  A leader is one who does the same work as an operator when they have the opportunity.  It is understandable that managers have their own duties but it is illogical for a manager to tell their workers how to accomplish a specific task or take on a new role without engulfing themselves within the role. 


Co-Workers:  I work with a special group of operators that come to work with great attitudes and are always ready to learn new things.  

Hardest part of the job:  I don't think there is a hard part of the job.  A job is only as hard as the worker makes it out to be.

Most enjoyable part:  Coming to work with the people that make the job fun and knowing that volume increases due to customers' satisfaction with the Google Express service.

Working at Fitbit for 3 years, I've seen some smart talented peers. The majority of non-managers were passionate about health, fitness and making customers happy.

Good:
1. Really passionate employees (below manager level)
2. Can wear workout clothes
3. Good location (Embarcadero)

Needs Improvement
The issue comes with very poor management, especially when it comes to making big decisions. Common things:

1. Shipping products that aren't done

2. Say you'll patch old issues in order to ship a product, and then never address it because the previous owner of the product/feature has already moved on to the next thing that needs to be rushed out the door

3.  Compensation is well below average for the area, though benefits are pretty good

4. Overall, short-term gain is prioritized with managers and above, and this hurts products in the long term

5. Career advancement is non-existent. It is an afterthought to allow employees to grow into new or more advanced roles, rather it's all about shoving a new (poorly decided) product/feature

6. Employees opinions on the product aren't taken seriously, even though PLENTY of data from departments specifically made to gather that information (Customer Support for customers, Beta testing for internal employees). 

7. Talented employees looking to go into different departments, but unable to due to culture of "I only want to ship my product, I don't have time to help others." Short-sighted because it helps those teams to have newcomers that already know the ecosystem.

8. HR is poorly structured and is consistently understaffed. Has by far the most turnover, which is the last department you'd want that to happen to

9. Lots of turnover, with higher ups more concerned about backfilling rather than addressing why people are leaving in the first place

10. Because of the culture of "I only care about my immediate team's workload", cross-department teamwork is bad. This means that a feature that needs 5 departments cooperating doesn't work because no one is aligned or communicating. Many times, one team finishes implementing their portion, and shove it to the next department with no advanced warning and saying they need it done in an unrealistic amount of time

Working at Google has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The company’s commitment to innovation and its dynamic work environment foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. Here are some key aspects of my experience:

Work Environment: The open office layout encourages teamwork and communication. Google’s campuses are designed to be both functional and fun, with amenities like nap pods, game rooms, and coffee bars that help create a relaxed atmosphere. The emphasis on a healthy work-life balance is evident, and the option for remote work adds flexibility.

Culture: The company’s culture is rooted in diversity and inclusion, which I found to be genuinely practiced. Teams are composed of individuals from various backgrounds, bringing a wealth of perspectives to projects. Google actively promotes employee resource groups, which help foster connections and support among different communities.

Career Development: Google places a strong emphasis on professional growth. Employees have access to numerous training programs, mentorship opportunities, and the chance to attend conferences. The performance review process is constructive, providing valuable feedback that aids in career advancement.

Compensation and Benefits: Compensation at Google is competitive, with salaries complemented by stock options and performance bonuses. The benefits package is comprehensive, including health insurance, generous parental leave, and wellness programs that encourage physical and mental well-being.

Challenges: While Google is an incredible place to work, it’s not without its challenges. The pace can be fast, and the expectations are high, which may lead to stress for some employees. Additionally, the size of the organization can sometimes make it feel impersonal, with bureaucracy creeping into decision-making processes.

Conclusion: Overall, employment at Google offers a unique blend of opportunity, culture, and innovation. For those who thrive in fast-paced environments and are eager to contribute to groundbreaking projects, it’s a fantastic place to build a career.

Former Employee - Operations Engineer in Atlanta, GA	

Positive Outlook

No opinion of CEO

I worked at Google (Less than a year)

Pros

The people are very nice and smart. the dress is casual. the cubicles are quiet. The food is good. A fun place to work.
The security staff is nice, and some will become good friends.

Cons

The datacenter never has enough tools.
You feel completely alone and it seems that you shouldn't ask questions once you're let loose post-trainig.
I broke down crying a few times on the datacenter floor because I couldn't find any answers or documentation from their intranet or from other employees.
They want a phd level of intelligence to work for 20$/hr.
Atlanta is the neglected "redheaded stepchild" data center.
Can be somewhat political, but if you don't get involved with or discuss politics anywhere on memegen or on the internal mailing lists or if you're smart enough to be engage in a neutral manner or pretend to side with the "correct" politics rather than your own political beliefs, you'll be alright.
I sweat a lot, and no one told me that I could bring spill-proof tumblers or clear drink containers on the DC floor!

The training was excellent. But safety protocols conflict with the speed that repairs MUST be accomplished. Eg: you must take shortcuts, like not wear globes when doing battery swaps, even if it's not safe. I was probably fired for not wearing gloves during the week that safety inspectors were onsite, however I was never told that they even have gloves or where they were! If you show people unsafe shortcuts, at least show them the correct way as well!

Advice to Management

You can't hold everyone's hand, and definitely I should have spoken up more, even to the point of just asking any random person who I do not know. As a contractor, it was hard to discern my performance before being let go. I was let go for having low numbers, but my numbers (actions plus resolutions divided by time spent on the datacenter floor) were low because I was on the datacenter floor for more hours than anyone else, because I was trying to learn as much as I could!

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Software engineer 728 salaries reported	$171,349 per year
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