By now, you've probably heard about Valve's new employee handbook making its rounds around the Internet. I heard it first on Twitter and quickly snatched the file up, thinking it was either a disgruntled employee sharing company secrets or more likely an inadvertent mistake by someone who meant to send the link via a direct message and instead sent it to the general population. After reading the handbook cover to cover, the disgruntled employee scenario seems far less likely or even downright impossible. I mean, this is Valve we're talking about and if this handbook is representative of what it's really like working there, I can't imagine anybody being anything other than on Cloud Nine all of the time.

Since it appears to have been intentionally released for public consumption (and was also recently published, given it is sporting a 2012 copyright), one can only wonder whether this is more of Valve's shenanigans, an elaborate hoax or something more sinister - which they are notorious for...or if it is truly an authentic employee handbook, which is full of interesting tidbits of sage advice, words of wisdom and even a pretty nifty timeline of Valve's history.

NOTE: As quick as the initial news spread, the latest report circulating on Twitter and various websites is that Valve has confirmed the handbook is indeed real and made public. Why, I don't know...but I'm not complaining.

Bottom line, whether it is more of Valve luring us in for a PR stunt or not, there is still some value in skimming through it, especially if you are a fan of the company; if nothing more than to look at the pretty pictures and the timeline of key events. Give you something to dream of and shoot for.

As several folks have pointed out - yes...there is a cartoon drawing that shows a person wearing a Half Life 3 t-shirt, but I think it's safe to say that (A) we already know Valve is capable of teasing us with the old Half Life 3 t-shirt ruse, and (B) we already know Valve is working on a Half Life 3. They just have to be. They might not be in any rush to publish it...and it might still be nothing more than some rough sketches on the back of a napkin, but there will be a Half Life 3...eventually. In Valve time.

I have long waved the Valve banner and have gone on record admitting that I am fan boy. I've written quite a few blogs on the company and their games and have always proclaimed their awesomeness. A few of you can testify to this fact (not that they would necessarily do it under oath mind you). So, when I read this handbook, it made me love and admire the company even more. Imagine going to work every day for a company that operates like this:

That's why Valve is flat. It's our shorthand way of saying that we don't have any management, and nobody "reports to" anybody else. We do have a founder/president, but even he isn't your manager. This company is yours to steer-toward opportunities and away from risks. You have the power to green-light projects. You have the power to ship products.

Or...

Sometimes things around the office can seem a little too good to be true. If you find yourself walking down the hall one morning with a bowl of fresh fruit and Stumptown-roasted espresso, dropping off your laundry to be washed, and heading into one of the massage rooms, don't freak out. All these things are here for you to actually use. And don't worry that somebody's going to judge you for taking advantage of it-relax! And if you stop on the way back from your massage to play darts or work out in the Valve gym or whatever, it's not a sign that this place is going to come crumbling down like some 1999-era dot-com startup. If we ever institute caviar-catered lunches, though, then maybe something's wrong. Definitely panic if there's caviar.

That's just not the way most businesses run. You know what it reminds me of? It reminds me of...well, if you've played the Portal series, Valve kind of reminds me of Aperture Science. Now, I'm sure that's no earth shattering revelation. I'm sure that comparison has been made before, but this Valve Handbook for New Employees could easily read Aperture Science Handbook for New Employees. Maybe, deep down, that's why I am so enamored with Valve, because it "feels" like Aperture Science.  I have this mental image that working at Valve would somehow be like living in a video game.

Anyway, I'm not going to cover everything in the handbook because you can read it for yourself. I do think it is interesting to note though, the section of the handbook proclaiming what Valve doesn't do all that well (how odd yet refreshing, a company that admits what they do wrong).

Oddly enough, there is a single review at the website Glassdoor, a website that provides "an inside look at jobs and companies", for Valve that was submitted back in August of 2008. Of course we don't know if it's truly submitted by an actual employee or not, but if it is...it provides a little feedback from someone within the organization who has mostly good things to say about the company.

Pros

good quality of life, and being surrounded by creative people. there are many reasons to work at valve. the standards are pretty high, but they push you and really make you strive for the newest, best thing. there is no formal management structure, and responsibility is given on a competence level or if one asks for it. there is lots of room to try new things, so you feel like you are learning all the time. i have been at valve for many years and found it to be extremely rewarding, both in a business sense and personal one.

Cons

very competitive internally (high standards).

Advice to Senior Management

more insight into what's happening at the company, future plans.

That seems to coincide verbatim with the handbook, and only slightly ironic...and humorous (especially the "making predictions longer than a few months out" comment).

If you haven't read any of the news stories or checked out the handbook for yourself, this will probably help you out - Valve's Employee Handbook Is Online For All To See.

I guess really the main reason I was so happy to see this New Employee Handbook is it makes me optimistic with the future. Today marks the anniversary of my military service, which is winding down and coming to an end. It's true. My days left on active duty are numbered. The exact number isn't known but I do have a ballpark minimum and maximum number of days left. And so, for the first time in a long time (like...in forever) I will be making a major career change. I'd like to finally be able to do something that I have a lot of passion for and that's somewhere in the video games industry. Sure, I have dream jobs I think I'd enjoy...and yes Game Informer is at the top of that list. But seeing this handbook and knowing that there are companies out there (Valve's not the only one) where you're free to pursue your dream, follow your passion and become a part of something that defines who you are...that gives me hope. Besides, I'm pretty handy with a crowbar.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."  -Dr. Seuss