Do you Work in a Cult Compound - Workology

Do you Work in a Cult Compound What if you could have everything you needed in life at work? Comfortable couches, fitness centers, dry cleaning, concierge service, cafes and restaurants, sleep rooms, daycare, ping pong, beer fridgesounds nice, right? With all of those perks and amenities, why would you ever need to LEAVE the office? There are many companies, big and small, that are building their corporate culture in just this way. Zappos is building a compound in Las Vegas, Google is famous for their Googleplex, and Apple for their university-style campus. These organizations are creating compounds where work IS home. At Zappos, employees are encouraged to spend time with each other even after working hours, in order to foster relationships. We dont really telecommute at Zappos. We want employees to be interacting with each other, building those personal relationships and relationships outside of work as well. says Tony Hsieh, CEO in Business Insider. Now, no one could argue that these businesses havent done well. Obviously they are hugely successful. However, we see a danger in building cult compounds for your employees. 1. Its incredibly expensive. Many businesses waste money on perks like these, rather than providing the kinds of creative benefits that employees truly value. 2. It takes away choice and autonomy. People want to choose their own child care, gym, and restaurants. People want to make choices about where and when they get work done, avoid the commute, be available for their families and communities. Instead of people having control over their lives, organizations are creating compounds (or mini-compounds) where work IS home so that they can monitor their employees while at the same time providing all the things their employees should be grateful for. We need to be building performance-based work cultures, not cult compounds. This is a frightening trend that does not allow for freedom, but is the antithesis of 100% autonomy and accountability. What do you think of the corporate compound trend?