The most surprising perk for the 900 New York-based employees at Yelp costs the $2.4 billion company nothing

Hollis Johnson

Music is always playing in Yelp's Manhattan office.

We recently visited Yelp's Manhattan office and saw everything from an indoor swing to "Big Lebowski"-themed employee portraits.

However, we were more surprised by what we heard when we walked in than what we saw: loud music playing throughout the office.

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"Music is a big part of our culture here," vice president of local sales Paul Reich told Business Insider during our visit.

"We don't know whether we'll be hearing Brazilian or samba or even some heavy metal on any given day."

Sometimes, he said, the battle for the position of office DJ can get pretty competitive. On the day of our tour, we arrived to the sound of some classic 80s tunes.

Reich explained that music - along with the numerous other perks the $2.4 billion San Francisco-based company provides its 900 New York-based employees - is actually a major motivator during work hours.

Most employees in Yelp's Flat Iron neighborhood office work in sales, so upbeat tempos help to keep everyone pumped throughout the day.

"It's a difficult job, being an evangelist. You're calling people often who don't want to talk to you. How do you counter that? With music, with love, with energy, with support," he said.

And it's not just about blasting Spotify over the speakers. Reich told us that workers have formed a capella groups,
rock bands, and hip hop squads.

Yelp employees also frequent karaoke bars in Koreatown with their coworkers after hours, Reich said. And the office recently installed its own karaoke machine.

He explained that music is a means of both motivating employees, and encouraging them to socialize with one another.

That being said, employees don't have to contend with so much sound and fury all the time. There a few quiet areas tucked away throughout the space. "We need to provide space that's peaceful and serene," Reich said.

But once quiet time is over, it's straight back to facing the music.