Beyond some of their really cool fringe benefits, like afternoon tea, I think two factors are the biggest contributors. One, Google’s famous 70/20/10 work schedules. A total of 70% is spent working on your normal projects. Another 20% is devoted to related projects. The remaining 10% is yours to work on anything you want. A lot of autonomy and belief in the power of employees to do great things.
The other factor is how Google is not afraid to go outside of its normal business model, Internet technology. Google is wanting to move into the eradication of major diseases like the avian flu through its Google Foundation. Check this out: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0801/gallery.BestCo_Google_help.fortune/index.html
Google is an excellent example of a socially responsible employer and I think this resonates positively with its employees.
