Located in Los Gatos, a small and quiet town in California, Netflix HQ may look average from outside. Quiet and clean, the buildings house the world’s largest movie and TV streaming service, says Tech Crunch</a>; and as it turns out, the inside is just as inspiring, creative and original as you might imagine.
With a popcorn dispenser greeting visitors at the door (what else would you expect?), there are signs of the relaxed vibe that the Netflix offices exude. Multiple communal working spaces, both outside and inside, also add to the informal feeling, with employees able to choose from open desk spaces or cubicles – laptops or tablets are more commonly used than desktops. This availability of choice is for a good reason – allowing employees the space to decide where and how they work can boost performance and productivity. Teams are also reportedly allowed to decorate designated areas however they wish.
One of the most interesting things about the Netflix offices is the ample opportunity for employees to take personal responsibility. From tech-based vending machines that are free to use, and contain such goodies as Apple Air Pods and wireless mice, to the reported ‘take as much as you want’ approach to staff holiday bookings. The overall feeling is that Netflix treat their employees as adults, and evidently, it yields great results.
Netflix HQ has a wide range of meeting rooms with varying functions – from areas suitable for screenings, to one-on-one spaces, to a three-tiered coliseum style room. Every meeting room is named after a TV series or movie (obviously), and Netflix say they have ample meeting space to avoid the dreaded timing clash. The largest space available, however, is the main theatre space. This considerable space is mainly used for screenings of Netflix Originals, however, it can also double up as an extremely large meeting space.
Despite being so well-equipped for meetings, Netflix is actually encouraging the use of video meetings as much as possible – makes sense for such an influential adopter of streaming technology!
