Pros
Thanks for setting up this site Glassdoor. Google is an industry leader in many endeavors and often finds itself listened to by competitors and partners alike. I hope that does not come off as overly confident, it's a wonderful place to work. Our management and product teams are thoughtful about all of our projects. Google enjoys a solid reputation among consumers, something that is difficult to achieve, and we lead the internet industry in consumer satisfaction. It makes me proud to say I work for a company that is so highly regarded by our partners, competitors and the general public. We are a company that provides innovative answers to today and tomorrow's questions. Our technology is more powerful than our competition and we continue to add new services to our already robust product suite. We leave the end users satisfied and our partners happy that we're looking out for their best interests. There are other great reasons to work for Google, yes there is free lunch but that is just one piece to the puzzle. It's generally the overall trust that the company has in it's employees and the respect that the employees show for the company. Management has decided not to put a cap on sick days and trusts that employees want to come to work, which we do. We want to work on the products that will change the way that people access and consume information. We want to speak to clients, collaborate with them and work with them to change the world... that's the attitude I have going into work every day for the last three years and that's a really good feeling. The best part is, Google is enabling this attitude.
Kontras
As Google has grown larger over the last few years, it has hired tremendous managers, adding new layers to our corporate hierarchy. The company has hired the "best of breed" from many industries, allowing Google to take advantage of the extensive networks created by those individuals. These individuals are fantastic - team players, industry visionaries, thought leaders - truly an amazing set up people with whom to surround yourself. That is how I would describe the average Google employee and what they bring to the table. Not necessarily a downside. The level of mutual respect and admiration is very high here. We are all cooperative (... or should I say cooperatively competitive) as we believe it brings out the best in us and pushes us to succeed. With levels of achievement levels so high, it is difficult to see people who do succeed but who are not the Michael Phelps of their respective field.