It is amazing place out there! Pure common sense applied with lot of zeal and pure conviction leading to fantastic organizations results.
I was reading Bill Taylor's article on one of the Harward Business Review blogs and liked this story. The story is about the daring approach of a company that might defy several set patterns of business and force the management gurus to put new management theories!
Lot of things is talked about recruiting and retaining talent in the challenging marketplace. One maverick practice established by a company named Zappos is certainly something that should be discussed in detail, if not practiced immediately. This is about just one small practice that offers big lessons for leaders who are serious about changing the game in their field--and filling their organization with people who are just as committed as they are.
Zappos sells shoes (now they have other items as well) over the Internet. With a business over $1 billion, the company has shown a jump of 15 times in just 5 years!
They have best of the warehouse facility to serve the customers in a day's notice, a hassle free 365 days return policy with no strings attached, best of the customer care infrastructure to offer best value proposition. But the fanatical approach of the company to AMAZE their customers is what creates the Emotional Connection with them. The customer care doesn't work on any script, no talk time limit, no mechanical discussion, they do what makes the customer happy. It is impromptu! Huge number of 1700+ employees of the company is the power users of Twitter. All of them act as brand ambassador of the company – in literal sense. How could this be possible?
How could they find such great workforce? Here is the magic. All Zappos new hires undergo a 4 week training period that immerses them in the company's strategy, culture, and obsession with customers. People get paid their full salary for this.
After a week or so in this immersive experience, though, it's time for what Zappos calls "The Offer." The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: "If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you've worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus." Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit!
Why? Because if you're willing to take the company up on The Offer, you obviously don't have the sense of commitment they are looking for. It's hard to describe the level of energy in the Zappos culture--which means, by definition, it's not for everybody. Zappos wants to learn if there's a bad fit between what makes the organization tick and what makes individual employees tick--and it's willing to pay to learn sooner rather than later. (About ten percent of new call-center employees take the money and run.)
It's a small practice with big implications: Companies don't engage emotionally with their customers--people do. A great company is made of great people. Great people fitted in all the parts of the pyramid. How the HR managers make sure that the Right people are in the organization? How much are you willing to pay to find this out? Moreover are you ready for it?
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