Dia dhuit aris everyone! Our third day in Ireland was yet another exhilarating and action-packed day. The Plus3 group traveled to the Microsoft Headquarters in Dublin using Ireland’s trams (called “Luas”) and enjoyed a tour of Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium in the afternoon.
Prior to today’s visit, I had considered Microsoft and half-expected their headquarters to be in the middle of a bustling cityscape swarming with security guards. I figured that the building would be similar to the Google headquarters, with a colourful interior and tons of break & snack rooms. While the headquarters met my expectations of a colourful, modern interior with cafes, coworking spaces, and people dressed in business outfits, I did not expect to experience one of their newest technology, the HoloLens, during the visit. The presentation was also fairly laid-back and presented lots of opportunities to interact with the Microsoft representatives, which made the visit more engaging and informative. To summarize the expectations vs. reality discussion in terms of Microsoft, I can certainly say that this experience exceeded my expectations! The premises were gorgeous and the professionals were welcoming, which, to me, was an indication of how good the work culture and work environment at Microsoft would be.
As I mentioned earlier, I had the opportunity to try on their HoloLens device, which was an enhanced reality device structured almost like an Oculus Quest VR–and it was an amazing experience! Rafael and Julia, Microsoft professionals who worked on the HoloLens, explained that this device is meant to help people such as factory workers learn how to maintain and repair equipment using a guided enhanced reality tutorial that is both time-saving and reduces the chance of errors due to communication. We also learned about Microsoft’s endeavours in the agricultural field and the gaming industry (eg. the adaptive Xbox controller) in addition to their commitment to customer satisfaction and professional growth. Microsoft had some issues and public criticism about their not-so-appealing organizational culture in the past, which had resulted in the loss of talented employees. Our presenter, Nicholas Wuis, then explained that with the arrival of their current CEO, Satya Nadella, Microsoft was able to successfully re-establish an inviting and effective corporate culture that not only brought in more employees but also brought back some of their older employees that had left the company.
Microsoft’s journey from being critiqued for their unimpressive work culture to being regarded as one of the best technological companies to work for is an impressive success story, and after learning this, I think Microsoft is a company that I might be interested in working with in the future. Personally, I am excited about and enjoying my current internship at TechBlue, which is also a company that is heavily involved with the digital transformation initiative, but that’s not to say that I won’t be interested in working for Microsoft. Their strides in the accessibility and disability-friendly space combined with their desire to practice environmental sustainability and prioritise their customers’ needs are incredibly impressive and commendable! Overall, this site visit was a 11/10, and I cannot wait to learn about the rest of the companies we plan to visit during this program!
P.S. We also visited the Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium this afternoon and learned about Gaelic football and hurling–2 of Ireland’s most popular games. Pictures from this excursion are attached below!
Sláinte,
Shreya.