Google Singapore - Learning Journey
On 29th August, Blossom Seeds had a chance to visit Google's office in Singapore to learn about its working culture and explore how to adapt some of its workplace practices into the social service sector.
It was an eye opener as one was introduced to one of the most innovative technology company in the world. A name which had been claimed by many as their "best friend" and already equivalent to "search" in the English vocabulary. From the half day session, it was clear that Google placed deep focus on the recruitment process to ensure that the incumbent can fit into the company culture which in turn placed a lot of emphasis on employee's empowerment. This trust allowed for flexi and mobile work arrangements as well as space for different interpretation of creativity and acceptance. Other than meeting rooms, there were no fixed desk sitting. The interior design for each floor was very much like a cafeteria. One could easily envision working in a shopping mall to certain extent, not to mention the nap and massage corners.
As to the extend of its type of culture or technology which one could adapt into the social sector, this would really be dependent on the individual organizational culture. At Blossom Seeds, certain roles are already on flexi arrangements. Adapting technology to improve workflow processes is a must but more important is ensuring post-implementation support network. This will assure users that they are well-supported to use the tools for its desired outcome - efficiency and productivity improvement.
