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By, Gloria Liu

Recently I watched a video called ‘Google, I Quit!’ on LinkedIn. It is about a former Google employee Michael Peggs leaving what many call ‘the place to work for’. In the video, Michael gave us a tour of the fascinating Google work environment: – tasty food, video games, tunnel entries, and etc. He seemed satisfied with everything in Google, yet towards the end of the video he quits his job. For a job seeker like me, who would basically accept any decent job offers, Michael Peggs is quite unbelievable.  Now contemplating on the lessons I have learned about the culture and cultural fit, I try to solve this puzzle – Michael’s resignation from Google.

 

Courtesy:http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/the-art-of-submission-it-s-not-you-it-s-me

Courtesy:http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/the-art-of-submission-it-s-not-you-it-s-me

To begin with, Google is definitely an excellent company that takes great care of its employees both financially and non-financially. However, Google cannot offer something that is of great significance to those who departure voluntarily. So, what’s missing? Following on Michael Peggs other videos and bios, I believe it is entrepreneurship. Indeed, Michael can fulfill his personal value within Google, but he can never maximize his ambition under huge, mature, and cozy protective environment. He may want to start a company and change the world as Larry Page and Sergey Brin did. He may want to help others reach their highest potential. He may also want to rest for a while and then figure out whatever matters most to him. We never know, and that is irrelevant.

 

“It’s not you. It’s really me.” Michael Peggs hereby stated in his video the reason that he left. A man with all luxuries can be rejected by a woman, or they break up after two months, or they divorce after seven years’ marriage. The mental fit for a couple is what cultural fit to an employee and a company. Staying with the wrong guy, no matter how awesome he is to others, you will eventually leave. Staying in the wrong company, no matter how great it is, you will eventually leave the company.

 

Courtesy: http://blog.rht.com/3-steps-finding-right-cultural-fit-team/

Courtesy: http://blog.rht.com/3-steps-finding-right-cultural-fit-team/

Some companies now well understand the vital role that the culture plays in recruitment. When hiring new staff, they consider not only technical match but also cultural match. Because an innovative Tom can never perform well in an accounting job, and the same goes for a conservative Jane that will be doomed in an advertising firm. I remember the last week’s Tech Connection finance workshop, one student asked an alumni to provide advice in finding a job. One alumnus urged us to find our interest and follow them. Another said that, ‘embrace challenges that seem impossible and then figure it out.’ For me, that was really inspiring. Equipped with a hard toolkit, we need to search for the soft match. It may take some time, just as finding the one you want to be with. Eventually, it will pay off.