WORDWISE search engine (noun) – a website on the internet to help you find information ✱ lobby (noun) – an entrance hall ✱ suit (noun) – formal clothes worn by businessmen, including a tie, a shirt and jacket and trousers ✱ nap (noun) – when you have a short sleep during the day

Before you read:• Would you like to work in an office? Why? Why not? What company would you most like to work for? Why?

THE LOBBY*When you arrive at Google, the offices look like most offices around the world … desks, computers, lots of plants, pictures on the walls. But then you see the slide, and you realise that Google is a very different place to work!

TEAM Question: What other activities would be fun for people before they start work?

THE FOODIf Googlers are hungry, they can go any time to one of the company’s cafés or restaurants. The great thing is that the food is healthy, delicious … and it’s also free!

TEAM Questions: Do you have a canteen at your school? What food can you buy there? Do you eat there? Why? / Why not?

A ‘NAP* POD’At Google, everyone has ‘20% time’. This means that Googlers can spend one day each week on a personal project. The company realises that many of the best new ideas come when people are relaxed. They can go for a walk, play games or sleep in one of the company’s ‘nap pods’ (like this one!).

TEAM Question: If you had ‘20% time’, what would you work on?

Google is the world’s most popular internet search engine*. Today, nearly 3,000 people work for Google! TEAM visits the Google offices to discover what happens ‘behind the scenes’.

A TYPICAL OFFICEHere we can see some Googlers (the people who work for Google) in a typical office. At Google people don’t have to wear a suit*. They can also bring in personal things from home. Some Googlers even bring in their pet dogs!

TEAM Question: Google believes that ‘you can be serious without a suit.’ Do you agree? Why? / Why not?

THE GAMES ROOMThe company expects people to work hard, but it wants them to enjoy themselves, too. That’s why all the Google offices have games rooms, where Googlers can play table tennis, table football and computer games.

TEAM Questions: Do you have break times at school? What do you do? Where do you go?

FACTS

• Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google when they were students.

• The name Google

comes from the word googol which means the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.

• The head office is called the Googleplex.

Behind the

scenes at...

a slide

a bean bag

an exercise bike

table football

a desk

table tennis table

a vending machine