This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
When thinking of model places for workplace perks, the successful startups of Silicon Valley undoubtedly come to mind. And while heavy-hitters such as Google and Facebook are famous for their jaw-dropping employee amenities, up-and-coming mid-level companies are also getting in on the act.
Mashable took a tour of Zynga, a wildly popular distributor of some of the most played social and mobile games. When it comes to perks, the father of FarmVille doesn't skimp. In fact, Zynga's office is so loaded with perks and amenities, it would make working from home a bore.
Good Food
It's not uncommon for tech companies in Silicon Valley and San Francisco to offer its employees catered lunches, but Zynga takes it further with meals cooked on-site by professional chefs. Each floor has a fully-stocked and themed kitchen, including a candy kitchen and a healthy "zen" kitchen.
Everything is prepared on-site — there's even a pizza oven — and made with locally sourced ingredients. The company's executive chef is Matthew DuTrumble, who was the youngest chef instructor at the California Culinary Academy and also had a show on the Food Network, Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. Want to eat some meat for lunch? The on-site butcher will take care of that in his two-floor kitchen.
If you're more interested in keeping a good diet, there are always healthy options, including a fully loaded salad bar and freshly brewed Kombucha. The healthy options are an important perk, considering desk jobs are notorious for helping people pack on pounds.
Good Fun
In the basement, there is a lounge area packed with big screen TVs, a curved wood bar area and free beer on tap. If you'd rather unwind with a workout than an ice-cold beer, you can hit up the Zynga gym. Employees can take CrossFit classes, meet with a nutritionist or schedule a free massage.
And if you want to work and play with your canine friend, he's more than welcome — every day is bring your dog to work day at Zynga. After all, the company is named after the CEO Mark Pincus' late dog, Zinga.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Zynga provides hotel-like amenities to keep employees happy and retain (and attract) talent. Tech companies in particular are notorious for providing awesome on-site perks to encourage employees stay at work longer and up their productivity. Facebook offers employees a free shuttle to work, plus numerous "micro-kitchens" stocked with snacks, and a free cafeteria where employees are welcome to invite family members for lunch. Google has a golf course, basketball courts and nap pods for a mid-day snooze.
Zynga churned out six games in the first quarter of 2012, so the team is definitely working hard. Despite the long hours, the employees' access to a spacious top-of-the-line gym, a team of chefs and all the free beer you can drink makes for quite the hook-up.
All the perks in the startup world make sense — several Gallup studies have shown a correlation between productivity and worker happiness, and Gallup estimates that organizations whose employees are not happy and engaged lose out on billions of dollars in potential revenue.
Check out the gallery of pics below to see some of the cool stuff they get to do at Zynga.
This staircase leads to the lounge area and the gym.
Upon entering Zynga you'll see this Old West-style theme. Have a seat in the adjacent mod-style lounge area and help yourself to Jolly Ranchers, Falafel Chips and bottled water.
The gym is spacious and equipped with new machines. Employees can take workout classes, schedule massages or see a nutritionist.
The band Train performed for Zynga's concert series held in small venues for employees. Here, frontman Pat Monahan checks out Zynga's entryway tunnel.
A team of chefs prepare all meals on-site with local ingredients.
The downstairs cafeteria looks up at the open floor plan. Zynga employees can bring their dogs to lunch and leave them in the "barking lot" -- a patch of faux grass with dog food and water.
Zynga's love of dogs can also be seen in this tribute to employees' dogs, with the company's namesake, Zinga, in the middle.
Zynga's employees must play games at work when a new game is in beta-test. Here, employees gather for an after-work Scramble tournament, while enjoying a pizza dinner and draft beer.
Zynga recently purchased the building next door to accommodate more employees. The Zynga culture has already crept over there -- the new building already offers games such as skeeball and a Kombucha tea bar.
What do you think about this company? Would you work here? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments.
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