Internal Microsoft Email Compares Life At Google Vs. Microsoft

Slashdot linked to a blog post that has what’s said to be an internal Microsoft email with a comparison of working at Google versus working at Microsoft.

The email is an interview between an ex-Google employee who Microsoft hired. Here are my top hits from this email:

  • He compares Google employees to kids who have everything taken care of for them, from food to laundry. Since these kids “don’t have a life yet,” this is perfect for them and they can be on email 24/7.
  • “Google doesn’t seem to think that private offices are valuable for technical staff. They’re wrong.”
  • On management; “conflict resolution between team members is very complex.”
  • At Google, “There is no career development plan from individual contributor to manager.”
  • Suggestion to Microsoft, “Make the food in the café free.”

Related Topics: Google: Employees | Microsoft: Employees


About The Author: is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here.


SMX - Search Marketing Expo

SearchCap: Get all the top search stories emailed each day!

Name: Company: Email:

Like This Story? Please Share!

Other ways to share:

Like Our Site? Follow Us!

Search Engine Land on Google+

LinkedIn over 34,000 members
Subscribe to Our Feed! 80,565 subscribers take our RSS feed
 

Comments

2 Comments on Internal Microsoft Email Compares Life At Google Vs. Microsoft

Neuro,

Yeh very interesting I used to work for BT in a larger development organization that G has

some of the comments are priceless :-) calling for people to be sacked though what for I don’t know – obviously written my Linux fan boys or hobby programmers who think there leet cos the can put a unbuntu cd in a disk drive.

Longer term

Looks like G has mega problems looming the quote “My manager had over 100 direct reports”

The mixed up report structures the guy reports is interesting makes my view expressed on threadwatch is theres a lot of lower quality stuff shoved out of the door without sufficient testing.

Not having a career path and extremely flat structures will hurt them in future I know as BT was the same.

Anyone asked Vanessa for a comment



Neuro,

Yeh very interesting I used to work for BT in a larger development organization that G has

some of the comments are priceless :-) calling for people to be sacked though what for I don’t know – obviously written my Linux fan boys or hobby programmers who think there leet cos the can put a unbuntu cd in a disk drive.

Longer term

Looks like G has mega problems looming the quote “My manager had over 100 direct reports”

The mixed up report structures the guy reports is interesting makes my view expressed on threadwatch is theres a lot of lower quality stuff shoved out of the door without sufficient testing.

Not having a career path and extremely flat structures will hurt them in future I know as BT was the same.

Anyone asked Vanessa for a comment



Get Our News, Everywhere!

 
  • Advertise With Us
 

Click to watch SMX conference video

Join us at an upcoming SMX event:

Search Engine Land produces SMX, the Search Marketing Expo conference series. SMX events deliver the most comprehensive educational and networking experiences - whether you're just starting in search marketing or you're a seasoned expert.

SMX Site » | SMX Difference » | SMX News »


Learn more about search marketing with our free online webcasts and webinars from our sister site, Search Marketing Now. Upcoming online events include:


 

Search Engine Land Periodic Table of SEO Ranking Factors

Get Your Copy
Read The Full SEO Guide