5 REALLY COOL companies to work for

Graduating soon and are dreading the corporate life? Fret not; not every company insists on slave labour. Aparna Sundaresan profiles five organisations that make work seem more like play.

Microsoft

Makers of the ubiquitous Windows OS that introduced you to the world of computers.

Toys for the employees

(Across branches) foosball, pool, snooker, carrom, chess and table tennis equipment; bean bags; TVs; Xbox rooms; badminton court; cricket ground; basketball court; gymnasium with shower rooms; free Windows 8 phones, surface tablets and laptops.

Awesome policies

Free Microsoft training and certification programmes for employees that are expensive outside; can change job profile if one shows interest or aptitude for another profile in Microsoft; company pays travel, accommodation and food costs for employees to attend bi-annual tech events in the US; freshers sent to the US for 4-day induction event.

Employee speak

"Imagine your life in a great college. You have great teachers, you learn something new everyday, you get to hang out with cool people, a great infrastructure makes you feel pampered and comfortable and you're given a lot of freedom -- to think, to imagine, to choose what you wish to learn, to be the master of your own career and to live the life that you've always dreamt of. Working for Microsoft is like being in this college -- except you get paid to come here!"

Ashwin Murali, Microsoft (Bangalore)

Getting a job here

"We hire mostly from engineering colleges and a small number from b-schools. Across all businesses, we look for people who have the ability to take big, bold challenges. We want to be at the cutting edge of technology, so we look for people who are willing to experiment. They must also have a drive for results, think independently and have a passion for technology."

Anoop Hiwalay, HR, Microsoft (Bangalore)

Courtesy:YouthIncMag.com

MTV Music Television

The TV channel you go to for your music, reality show, sitcom and general entertainment fix.

Toys for the employees

Video game centre; foosball table; bean bags; sun recliners on the terrace; 24-hour Coke machine; pool tables; a rooftop cafe; yoga classes in the evenings; plenty of eye candy (models keep frequenting the building and VJs keep popping in for a chat).

Awesome policies

Back to school initiative, affiliated with several universities (like MICA and Symbiosis), allows employees to pursue postgraduation or other courses such as creative writing simultaneously while working; Friday Chill event for employees from all Viacom channels to gather on the office terrace, grab food and drinks and let down their hair; freedom to shoot videos and parodies in the office; freedom to play music in the office while working.

Employee speak

"At MTV, the work ethic is strictly 'Work hard, play harder'. So what do MTV-ites do when they are not guzzling down free drinks, challenging each other to foosball matches or reclining on sun loungers? Well, they record some parodies, drop in at the Coke Studio @ MTV shoots and occasionally burst into the Harlem Shake with Raghu at strategic office meetings!"

Hasina Khatib, Editorial intern

Getting a job there

"For an intern as well as for a graduate, work experience is of paramount importance. The places you've worked at and the kind of portfolio you've built is considered more important than what you specialised in. If a student or graduate is looking to join MTV's digital team, it is necessary they have an eye for social media and all the intricacies it entails. If the candidate shows potential and is capable of handling the work load satisfactorily, the internship can develop into something more as well."

Roopa Sharma, Editorial Executive, MTV Digital

Facebook

That service you use to tell your friends about your day and share just about anything. The leader in social media has been voted by Glassdoor and Forbes as the best company to work for in 2013.

Toys for the employees

Foosball, snooker and table tennis equipment; gaming devices (new PlayStation arriving soon); in-house karaoke competitions; all-night hackathons (hacking contests for programmers); custom Facebook merchandise for employees (hoodies, t-shirts, accessories, pyjamas, stationery, etc).

Awesome policies

Casual work lifestyle; work from home; flexible work hours; paid time off; floating holidays; maternity leaves (upto 4 months); frequent travel to other Facebook offices in the world.

Employee speak

"Many people I work with have graduated from top schools around the world, and I am constantly reminded that I work with greats like Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg."

Brinda Parashuram, Facebook (Hyderabad)

Getting a job there

"We look at the whole candidate package. People who can display their actual skills by building real things beyond class projects are very frequently the stronger candidates."

Will Barnett, University recruiting, from FB's Reddit AMA

The 120 Media Collective

Home of film production company Bang Bang Films and its content creation arm Jack in the Box Worldwide.

Toys for the employees

Antique Italian coffee machine that makes authentic coffees; spacious terraces for lunchtime and brainstorming; a 'thinking room' with a quiet environment; action figures, toys, dart guns, etc that employees bring; props from shoots left behind in the office.

Awesome policies

Recommends its employees learn a foreign language and pays for it; allows sabbaticals to pursue higher education; employees allowed to switch to other departments to dabble in other projects.

Employee speak

"When a company is ambitious in its approach it rubs off on you. That's what makes it awesome for me and what's helping my career progress."

Aditya Sunil Kumar, Copywriter, Jack in the Box Worldwide

Getting a job there

"There are no rules and qualifications to apply for a job here. We are more concerned with the candidate's fit with our company values. We like them to be curious, ambitious, as well as empathetic and of course we want them to be as obsessed by our company as we are!."

Tanupriya Anand, Buzz Agent (marketing, communications, PR)

Google

The Internet entity that helps you pass exams, finish projects, et to a restaurant, calculate exchange rates, look up trivia, check spellings… pretty much run your life.

Toys for employees

Well-stocked snack rooms; in-house fitness facilities; massage chairs; free Macbook; free Nexus phones; first access to Android updates; indoor games; interdepartmental cricket and basketball matches.

Awesome policies

Employee-friendly ambience; casual but intense workplace; flexible work hours; individual creativity and entrepreneurship encouraged; freedom to try new things; exposure to the global market.

Employee speak

"The focus on good quality work and ethics surpassed everything else. Managers and seniors at every level were approachable and gave constant feedback."

Former intern, Google (Gurgaon), Glassdoor review

Getting a job there

"We're looking for people who have a variety of strengths and passions, not just isolated skill sets…For engineering candidates in particular, we'll be looking to check out your coding skills and technical areas of expertise... We're less concerned about grades and transcripts and more interested in how you think."

'How we hire' by Google, accessed from www.google.com/about/jobs/lifeatgoogle/hiringprocess/