Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently urged employees to make better use of the company’s resources, including its real estate.
The tech giant has introduced a new desk-sharing program at five of its locations, in which employees coordinate to share their desks with colleagues on alternate days, as many workers are currently only coming into the office twice a week.
This move aims to promote efficiency and save money, while also better utilizing resources. Pichai emphasized that the policy is only for cloud employees at present, but other teams have the freedom to experiment.
During a company meeting last week, Pichai noted that some employees complain that there are large areas of empty desks, creating an unpleasant atmosphere akin to a ghost town.
He believes that Google should be a good steward of financial resources, given the high cost of real estate, and that it must be careful in how it thinks about utilization rates, especially when they are low.
This cost-cutting measure follows a series of measures that Google and other tech giants have implemented in response to the recession, including the layoff of 12,000 employees.
Google’s desk-sharing program
A Google spokesperson confirmed the desk-sharing program, saying that it was developed for Cloud employees after running pilots and surveys.
According to the spokesperson, the new arrangement combines the best aspects of pre-pandemic collaboration with the flexibility and focus that remote work offers, while also enabling the company to use its spaces more efficiently. While the program is currently only for Cloud employees, other teams have the freedom to experiment with similar arrangements.
Google is urging its employees to make better use of the company’s resources, including real estate, by introducing a desk-sharing program at some of its locations.
The program allows employees to coordinate and share desks with colleagues on alternate days, promoting efficiency and saving money. Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, believes that the company should be a good steward of financial resources, given the high cost of real estate, and that it must be careful when thinking about utilization rates.
The program is currently only for Cloud employees, but other teams have the freedom to experiment with similar arrangements.
Google’s headquarters, also known as the Googleplex, is located in Mountain View, California, and covers an area of approximately 2 million square feet. The main campus consists of several buildings, including office buildings, research and development facilities, and recreational spaces.
The centerpiece of the campus is the Googleplex Building, which has a unique design and features several amenities for employees, such as cafeterias, fitness centers, and a swimming pool.
The campus also includes outdoor recreational areas, such as volleyball and basketball courts, and is surrounded by green space and gardens.