Go Daddy came in at number 14 on the Best Places to Work in the Valley. Bob Parsons gave the keynote speech at the reception announcing the list and ran through the top ten things he thought made for a great working environment:<blockquote><ol><li>It is a fun place to work.</li><li>Company represents something in which they believe.</li><li>It’s a two way street. The company will be there for the employee when they need it.</li><li>Know the management and have access to them.</li><li>Employees get training when they need it and are empowered by management.</li><li>They can believe in the company. The company is reputable.</li><li>Surrounded by capable productive people.</li><li>Employees can make a difference and are recognized for their contributions.</li><li>Company is successful.</li><li>Fair wages and fringe benefits.</li></ol></blockquote>I can honestly say that Go Daddy deserves to be higher than number 14 on the list, but maybe those other 13 are actually better places to work. I don’t really know. (I do know who doesn’t deserve their spot at number 19. I know exactly how they got it and it pissed me off when I was there.)
Taking Bob at his word, I’ll assess his “Top Ten Traits that Make a Great Place to Work.”<ol><li>Fun: it is a fun place to work, but not in a forced, lip service kind of way. There’s no fad philosophies with stuffed fish or pickles around here.</li><li>Inspiring: I love that we build all our own stuff. I love that we started the whole inexpensive domain movement. I’m glad that we offer such a wide range of products that offer tremendous value. I’m glad that we have high aspirations.</li><li>Reciprocity: Go Daddy doesn’t just take you for granted. You work extra hours: they feed you. You need some time off: done. You need a more flexible schedule: you got it. I haven’t had any occasion to need something exceptional, but I feel comfortable that I could ask for and get it if I truly needed it.</li><li>Know thy management: I’ve spoken with Bob several times since I’ve been here. I talk to my boss and my boss’s boss every day and they take my opinions seriously. I can call anyone in the company if need be and titles really aren’t a big deal here. There aren’t the hardened channels of communication I’ve seen elsewhere.</li><li>Training: I haven’t had occasion to require it, but I know of several people who have and I know our official policy. Once the blog is released, I may have time to look into what’s out there. Mostly, I know that if I needed it I would get it. I always had the training I needed at my last job, but I know others didn’t and he bitched and moaned about it all the time.</li><li>Reputation: our brand is finally catching on so that it doesn’t seem like one of those dot-coms with a weird name that went down in flames. Go Daddy’s become something of a brand as it’s expanded in a big way into hosting and other industries. There are some grumblings out there, but overall it’s one of the big players and people in the know use it.</li><li>Co-Workers: I had forgotten what it was like to have co-workers that were capable, productive, and not into politics. Dave is a coding machine and though I completely (and vehemently) disagree with him about his Hungarian notation I respect his abilities. I’m glad he’s on the team. Bo’s been a great lead and I have learned so much in the short time I’ve been here. Mike’s code was a dramatic illustration in abstraction and heavily influenced a lot of my early development on Quick Blog. I could go on and on about all of the smart people I’ve met around here, but I think you’d get my point. It’s amazing what being discerning in your hiring practices and not tolerating dreck can do for the work environment. I’ll leave it at that.</li><li>Recognition: I have wielded a tremendous influence on the blog’s direction and style. I really couldn’t have asked for a better assignment. I worked my butt off to get things done and I have received accolades from management at every step. I’ve felt appreciated. That goes a long way. I can’t wait to see what financial recognition entails. Heh.</li><li>Proven Track Record: Go Daddy has doubled in size and revenue in the last year. And Bob’s explicitly stated his revenue targets for the future in several company meetings. Come on, wouldn’t you rather be in a massively-growing company than a stagnant one?</li><li>Compensation: I feel like I’m being adequately paid, but I’m not going to go there. The fringe benefits are incredible. Go Daddy gets vendors to sell food here for lunches so you don’t have to fight traffic and then they pay for half of what the vendors charge. And then they round down to the nearest dollar. That means I’m eating Samurai Sam’s teriyaki chicken bowl (all white meat) for $1. Can’t beat that! Oh, well, I guess you could. It seems like not a month goes by without some new fringe benefit. Just last week, they announced a used monitor sale where we can buy CRTs for $10 as they’re swapped out for LCDs. It’s a little thing, but it’s nice.</li></ol>
Oh yeah, we’re hiring and we don’t just hire anybody.
[NOTE: The views expressed on this website/weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Go Daddy Software, Inc.]