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Valve's Employee Handbook Is Online For All To See

Update: A Valve representative confirmed to Game Informer this handbook is legitimate.

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We got some insight into the inner workings of Valve last week when employee Michael Abrash posted a blog discusses the company's odd structure, and now we get to see a lot more.

Originating on Flamhaus.com, a PDF version of Valve's employee handbook appeared online. It could be a total fake, but if it is then it is a very good one complete with illustrations. If it is real, then I would direct your attention to page 22 where you can see a guy wearing a Half-Life 3 shirt! It probably doesn't mean anything, but any Half-Life news is news. And I mean literally anything.

Click here to check it out yourself.

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Comments
  • So every employee gets this handbook when they join Valve? Weird way of welcoming new people.

    Wow, after reading it, Valve sounds like such an amazing company to work at. I especially loved the "How to move your desk" figure.
  • Very cool. Valve has always been a phenomenally innovative and admirable company (despite, on occasion, being aggravatingly secretive).
  • I'll make sure to check it out. My dream is to work at Valve one day.

  • I'm calling it. This is all an elaborate troll joke by Gabe to get people excited about Half-Life 3.

  • At least employees knows Valve care. . . in a weird way, but they care.

  • This is very groovy.
  • I wish I could work there.

  • The concept of their business ethics explains why Valve games take so long to come out, but also explains why they are so good when they do.

  • Why does it say first edition March 2012? Smells fishy...
  • Valve looks like an amazing place to work.  The handbook has a fantastic sense of humor.  You wont find this sense of humor working at a restaurant :/

  • I feel like this handbook was written by Cave Johnson.
  • Now I really really want to work there. It's like a dream. You get to work on the projects you want to!
  • Now that is awesome.

  • After reading about half of that handbook, I have to wonder how many other companies would have more success and better employee morale if run similarly.  I don't find it odd at all.  It's refreshing, and if I were talented enough to work in the industry I'd want to be at Valve.

  • OH Gabe
  • "Valve is self-funded." So Valve is an indie studio? Whoa. Didn't know.
  • That was a very entertaining read.

    EDIT: Wow, it's real. That makes me want to work at Valve now!
  • Youre self fund company, and you chairs with wheels? Valve sounds AWESOME!!

  • After reading it it seems like Valve might be the most fun, de-stressed place to work ever. But if I were in charge it'd be more like EA and everyone will be upset that Half-Life 6 is coming just a year after Half-Life 5 :P Spoiler alert: CoD syndrome.
  • I bet working at Valve is an awesome job.
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