Does Anyone Work at Facebook?
You Wish You Did
There will be 1000 new millionaires when Facebook goes public, most work at the 57 acre ranch located on Hacker Way at the cross street of Willow Road in Silicone Valley near San Jose, California. Like Google, which is nearby, those that are lucky enough to work there probably does not seem like work in the usual sense. People come and go within a block of starting times, put their eight hours or more in, go home. In-between, the Facebook campus is really like a college campus-people dress any which way-no business dress here. One cannot tell who is a head of a department and who is just clerical person. Be prepared to see tennis shoes, T-shirts, sandals, shorts, jeans, tank tops.
There is a million square feet of office space. When not working, go to the free BBQ shack or one of two coffee houses. Need a doctor? dentist? Hey, just go-both are also on campus. If you need to do some laundry or need to have it done, hey, it is on campus also. Need to burn off that free food and drink at work, well, just go to the fitness center. I know, work makes you thirsty, so just stop by one of many beer kegs in the halls and fill up! Most popular is the Smokehouse, where delicious free meals are served. Expect a line, though. Get a free expresso or latte while you're there. Perhaps you work at one of the campus and a meeting is on the other end, well, hop on a bicycle and go.
Every week the company gathers at Hacker Square for a chit-chat with Mark Zuckerberg, 27. Working at many places similar to Facebook have set the pattern for successful firms. Employees are well paid and cared for at the work place. No one is breathing down their necks as to when they arrive or leave-it is all honesty and trust. A person who arrives at 10 a.m, may work several hours, take off 1-2 hrs. then resume, until completing eight hours or more. No time clocks here. They do expect devotion and results from whatever tasks assigned, but that is no different than working at McDonalds. The work areas for most are wall-less, your office space is staked out and made your own but your co-worker is not more than six feet away in the open air room. Everything is very casual.
Just like a college campus. Very cool.
