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Comment by plinkplonk | Hacker News Reader

"we decided to, for example, we significantly cut down all the snacks that had been available. [laughter]"

Sounds more like a joke to me. Are google perks like the gourmet food really being cut? (I heard about the child care changes. It sounded like a reasonable change to me but not being a Googler I wouldn't know and the details are hazy).

The head line seems sensationalistic and gives the impression that the folks at the top have made a actual decision to move more towards a "grey corporation".

I had also assumed(wrongly?) that the layoffs got rid of some dubious people who were hired. I personally know some not so great people who somehow got hired.

Do any quotes or facts bear this out? The linked article seemed hyperbolic and twisting some quotes out of proportion. I sthere any difference "on the ground"? People don't get free food now? Sounds insane!

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From the end of the quoted excerpt, Schmidt speaking:

    The tightening that [CFO] Patrick [Pichette] in particular did, who I think is the current Google hero, really did change the culture in a much more pragmatic way: “We’re happy to work here. We’re happy to be employed. We love what we’re doing. Our freinds, you know, have been laid off.” It’s been a maturing process. And I think a generally good one.

I think what Schmidt was getting at is that there's more to making a good work environment than giving people free snacks.

Well, I'm still getting free food up here in Google Kirkland, and it's great. The article seemed pretty odd to me, too.

Yes so what perks are being cut exactly? The article is vague about that.

My manager no longer comes by my desk and pats me on the back every day. I no longer bathe in milk in the gym shower anymore either. Its been rough.

Not cuts so much as scaling back and eliminating waste. If you can provide the same perk in a less wasteful way then you save.

Tea time has gone the way of the dinosaur. (Well, technically not, since the dinosaur is still standing out in the courtyard, but tea time is just gone, but you know what I mean.)

Also, Charlie's Cafe now serves hamburgers and fries. Rumor has it that when Charlie was here, he banned the use of ketchup as a disincentive to the serving of foods that require it. Googlers are better than that!

No, Charlie actually wasn't into French Fries. They were quite rare. Even now, Fries are kind of a treat.

About a year ago the New York microkitchens were shrunk. A lot of variety was removed, though they remained well-stocked and high-quality. Since then they've bounced back a bit.

AFAIK, no perks have been cut recently. I had to triple-check the publication date on the article -- it seemed so old.

Still getting free good in Google Chicago as well.

Free good is still way better than free evil.

This is sounding like a response to a report that some data centres are down.

We still have free food here in Aman, who are you up there it Vancouver?

Full quote: "I think it’s important to reset the culture from time to time. And I think several years ago we did that. Clearly, people had extrapolated from our past practices what the vision might be. And having actually been there, and knowing the rationale…we decided to, for example, we significantly cut down all the snacks that had been available."

It sounds like he's talking about a change that's already been in place for years.

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