A leaked "handbook of new employees" (PDF) from game developer Valve shows how great it is to work for this firm. At Valve, no one has a manager, there's nobody to report to each day and employees are free to select projects they want to work on, and even have the power to green-light new projects and ship products. Additionally, Valve workers also have various office perks, including a massage room, a game room, laundry service, and a gym.
Unlike a traditional job where the employee is given a desk and a set of instructions from a manager, those working a Valve don’t have a manager. As outlined in the handbook, hierarchy is great for maintaining predictability, repeatability and managing a large number of people. But for one of the top entertainment companies on the planet, telling an employee to sit behind a desk and do one specific task kills 99 percent of their value.
As such, employees at Valve don’t have managers – there’s nobody to report to each day. Furthermore, workers get to select which projects they want to work on, have the power to green-light new projects and even ship products.
Every employee desk has a set of wheels on the bottom that serves two purposes. The first is a symbolic reminder that one should always consider where they could move to be more valuable. The other is literal – team members often move their desks close together when working on a project for obvious reasons.
