"Google, Apple, Twitter, IBM - values I admired most working for these iconic brands!"

The privilege of working in these iconic companies comes with an unintended side effect. One is often confronted with impossibly tough questions like, “So which was the best one to work for?” or “How do they compare?" 

Comparing large iconic multi-faceted organisations is a presumptuous and hazardous exercise. Any yardstick will be unfairly inadequate due to limitations of the observer’s scope and depth of exposure.  Hence I feel completely ill-equipped to comment on these amazing companies that have a combined net worth of over $1 trillion! However, at the same time I almost feel morally obligated to come up with some helpful insights whenever such queries are posed by youngsters making important career choices. Its not unreasonable for them to expect some simple pointers on how these companies differ. Admittedly, I don’t think I have done a good job so far

So over the last few days I challenged myself to look back and distill out that one unique core value that set apart each of my employers from others. A value, that in my observation, pervaded across functions, geographies, teams and was a critical determinant of its work culture. 

A few disclaimers at the outset.

- These values might differ from the officially stated values or mission of these companies. In fact that is true in each case here. 

- It is possible for employees in the same function, same team, reporting to the same manager to reach contrasting conclusions on the values they admire. There’s a simple reason for that. The values we respect are shaped by our motivations. Our motivations are a function of our unique socio-cultural-economic backgrounds. And it is perfectly fine for different individuals to value different aspects of their organization. 

- This is by no means an exhaustive list. Each of these companies have several other values and strengths worth talking about. 

This is just my attempt to telescope my experience into that one uniquely omni-present value that stood out for me from the vantage point of my roles. These were my north stars, those unshakable constants that held true irrespective of my goals and roles in that company. This is what made me get up and go to work each day. 

Apple: Healthy Obsession for Perfection

Very few companies embody the relentless pursuit of perfection like Apple. Each Apple product, especially in Steve Jobs' second coming, attempted to achieve the perfect unity of form and function. Not all had the same cultural impact but each took a gigantic stride towards pushing the limit of human potential in technology and design. Functions like Sales & Marketing were not directly involved in product design and manufacturing. That was the preserve of a select few. But we shared the same workspaces and walked the same hallways. That was sufficiently motivating to strive for similar levels of perfection in our respective fields. Marketing events had to befit the amazing products being launched. Sales pitches had to live up to the promise of the products being sold. The organization had an obsession for perfection. And it was contagious!

IBM: Systems beget Solutions

It is almost unfair to refer to IBM as a company. It is one of the most venerable institutions of our times, that has withstood the test of time by continually reinventing itself. As it kept adapting, in all its glorious 105 years, it evolved systems and methodologies to cope with changing times. IBM was, and is, a champion in creating robust structures. As all IBMers knew, whether they worked in the Hardware or Software division, Customer Service or Finance, each task could get componentized into a well documented set of processes, minimizing the scope for human error and maximizing collaboration. IBMers had an immense faith in repeatable steps resulting in perhaps one of the most abundant collection of best practices, white papers and workflow repository in a single organization. To an unkind eye, this might have seemed bureaucratic, but there’s no denying that it works and I doubt if any of its critics have run an $80B organization for over a century! While I’m not an expert in design and processes, I would give IBM a lot of credit for the little I know.

Google: Its all about People

To be one of the most successful companies of its era requires excelling in several things. And Google has done precisely that. But to me one thing that stood out over everything else was Google’s unwavering and uncompromising commitment to hiring absolutely the best talent in the world. The company is aware that among the thousands of job applications it receives daily, a handful bear the name of the most talented people in the world. It does a great job of digging those out through hiring practices that are thorough, consistent and perhaps even quirky. How else do you explain each candidate being rated on an attribute called ‘Googliness’ - a hard to define concept to an outsider, yet clear as a bell to a Googler. The hiring process was structured to enforce rigorous pre-recruitment thinking and rethinking. While this led to frustrating delays at times, it has helped the company scale efficiently without lowering the competence bar. It also taught me that hiring great talent is perhaps one of the most important jobs of a leader.  

Twitter: Passion for Greater Good

A company’s work culture and what its products stand for, feed into each other. That perhaps explains the passionate belief so many Twitter employees have in their power to change the world. Initiatives like "Twitter for Good” are taken very seriously with clearly identified problems Twitter can help solve. This is not just a top-down push. Companywide discussions on doing the right thing and making a positive impact on society and the world are commonplace at Twitter. Many employees have causes close to their heart and actively volunteer for them. Compassion is contagious. I discovered my passion to use social media and technology for causes like disaster relief at Twitter. If all companies have a similar proportion of employees engaged in activities for greater good as Twitter does, the world would be a better place. 

As different as these great companies are, a strong belief in a value system is common across all. They say 'culture eats strategy for breakfast'. Culture is largely shaped by the collective values a company holds true. The next time you have to make choices, by all means evaluate the company's products, business models, work environment etc. But do take some time to look under the hood to find the values it holds dear. That could possibly be the engine that keeps the company running. Besides, finding the value that speaks to you and making it your personal source of strength is a wonderful experience!