Google has requested the cloud partners and employees to share desks and choose alternate days when they and their desk mates will be in the office starting in the next quarter, citing “real estate efficiency,” according to CNBC. According to a recent internal FAQ distributed to cloud employees, the new desk-sharing model will be used in Google Cloud’s five largest US locations, which are Sunnyvale, California; Kirkland, Washington; New York City; San Francisco; and Seattle. This is being done so that the company “can continue to invest in Cloud’s growth.” A few buildings will be deserted as a result, according to the paper.
Most Googlers will now share a desk with one another Googler
“Most Googlers will now share a desk with one other Googler,” stated the internal document, adding that the employees are expected to come to the office on alternate days so that they are not on the same desk on the same day. “Through the matching process, they will agree on a basic desk setup and establish norms with their desk partner and teams to ensure a positive experience in the new shared environment,” the document read.
According to the FAQ, employees are free to visit the office on other days, but if they do, they must utilize the “overflow drop-in space.” Internally, the new leadership has given a title to the new seating arrangement “Cloud Office Evolution” or “CLOE”, which refers to “combining the best of pre-pandemic collaboration with the flexibility” of hybrid work. “The new workspace plan is not a temporary pilot. This will ultimately lead to more efficient use of our space,” the document said. The FAQ stated that the internal data was used by Google on its employee office return patterns to inform about the decision.
“In the Google office, we’ve run pilots and conducted surveys with Cloud employees to explore different hybrid work models”
“Since returning to the office, we’ve run pilots and conducted surveys with Cloud employees to explore different hybrid work models and help shape the best experience. Our data show Cloud Googlers value guaranteed in-person collaboration when they are in the office, as well as the option to work from home a few days each week. With this feedback, we’ve developed our new rotational model, combining the best of pre-pandemic collaboration with the flexibility and focus we’ve all come to appreciate from remote work, while also allowing us to use our spaces more efficiently,” said a Google spokesperson.
