Facebook’s New HQ

Visiting Hacker Way

In celebration of the SponsoredLinX 10th year anniversary (and our new Headquarters in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) I’m taking you on a tour through another company that’s been hitting some serious milestones (and also moved recently) and drawing on a few similarities. Welcome to Facebook Headquarters – 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park in California.

With Facebook recently topping 10,000 employees, and with considerable growth on the horizon, CEO Mark Zuckerberg needed a new building. In March last year, Facebook opened its doors on the new space, designed by Frank Gehry (architect to some of the world’s most iconic modern structures). The goal was to create the world’s largest open floor plan; a space that’s eco-friendly, collaborative and reflective of Facebook’s mission to connect people (and Zuckerberg has a desk right in the middle). Facebook’s HQ is a personification of their ethos and imbues an atmosphere of self-expression. It’s not just about the building or its amenities, they are merely there to enhance and support the talent housed within (but it definitely doesn’t hurt your reputation when you have nap pods at your disposal).

Taking a tour around the outside of the building, the most distinguishable feature is the massive 36,421m² ‘green roof’ complete with over 400 full-grown trees, whiteboards, Wi-Fi, swinging lounges, picnic areas and a 1km long walking track. With 100,000 native plants on top of the building, it’s almost naturally insulated, which cuts considerable costs on heating and cooling. There are free bikes everywhere, a bike repair shop for when they need fixing, free computer accessory vending machines around the complex, and we haven’t even entered the building yet!

Taking a look inside, it’s an understatement to say Facebook takes care of (you could even say they spoil) their employees. It’s easy to see why they are one of the most sought after employers in the world, with amenities like arcade rooms, an onsite barber shop, micro-kitchens, massive cafeterias and cafes, a candy shop, stand up desks, treadmill workstations, a pizza window, burrito bar, a sit down Mexican restaurant, recreational rooms…the list goes on. The space has been outfitted with art from local artists and it’s being updated all the time!

Above everything else, the most important thing at Facebook is the culture. They look after their employees and this is replicated in the work they do for the company. Work-life flexibility (not balance, as that means you constantly need to prioritise each side) is an innovative concept where they believe in making life easier for their employees so that they can focus on the work they love to do. With this in mind, Facebook offer some seriously good perks to their employees including transportation support for a stress-free commute, free meals and snacks when employees need them, a wellness allowance to support healthy activities, paid leave for new parents, generous vacation days, life insurance, medical insurance and more.

There are slogans placed around the campus such as, ‘Fortune Favours the Bold’, ‘Move Fast, Break Things’, and ‘Hack Often’. All of these encapsulate ‘The Hacker Way’, which is a unique management approach at Facebook. ‘Hacking’ generally has a negative connotation in today’s society, but it means to build something quickly or push the boundaries for positive change, which is something Facebook is doing every single day.

SponsoredLinX has had similar changes in the last few months, with the move to our new Brisbane location, complete with our own open floor plan, a break out room with ping pong table, a gaming room, and even more innovative staff benefits to come. One of the biggest factors in selecting our new office was to enhance the culture and create a space that encourages collaboration, gives employees the tools they need to give clients above the results expected, and provide a central location that is easily accessible to staff and clients. SponsoredLinX is more than just an online marketing company, it’s a community.

Where’s there are happy staff, there are happy clients! Want someone who loves what they do working on your online campaigns? Then get in touch with SponsoredLinX today on 1300 859 600.

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