subject: Corporate Culture Best Practices: Zappos [print this page] Corporate Culture Best Practices: Zappos Corporate Culture Best Practices: Zappos
Zappos demonstrates a unique approach to employee empowerment, corporate culture and everyday life at the office.On a neverending mission for a specific pair of shoes, I cameacross a number of articles related to the corporate culture at Zappos. After being acquired by Amazon, the online retailer continues to maintain the values and culture that have been with the company since the very beginning. New hires at Zappos receive 5 weeks of training in the areas of culture, core values, customer service and the company warehouse. The focus on culture is integrated into all departments, employee roles, performance reviews, mission, vision and goals at Zappos.
How Culture Survived an Acquisition
In July of 2009, Amazon announced they would acquire Zappos in a stock and cash deal, which ended up totaling $1.2 billion dollars when finalized. A Tech Crunch article, "Amazon Closes Zappos Deal, Ends Up Paying $1.2Billion," reported that "theZappos management team will remain intact and the company will continue to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary." Zappos continues to operate separately from Amazon, providing CEO Tony Hsieh with the ability to manage the company the same as it was in the pre-acquisition days. The terms of the arrangement with Amazon has made it easier for Zappos to remain committed to the values and mission of the company that has been in place since day one.
Some of the interesting components that make the Zappos culture incredibly infectious include:
1. Culture and Business "Fit"
Michael Sprouse, Chief Marketing Officer atEpic Advertising, said it well in his blog post "Zappos & the Importance of a Vibrant Corporate Culture":
"Zappos' culture is a little bit more casual, which is akin to the Internet marketing and e-commerce industries. This creates an environment of comfort for employees, so that they can focus on producing their best possible product."
Sprouse's point makes perfect sense. If it's believed that employees will achieve successbybeing givenfreedom and focusing on culture and happiness rather than sales targets and financial goals, then go for it. While certain fundamental practices can be applied across industries, it's important to remember that no company, or employee,is exactly the same. Whencreatinga company's missionand the desired corporate culture, think about thenecessary elementsfor building a supportive environment thatmotivates employees to do their best work.
The interview process at Zappos is lengthy, but for a good reason. Zappos has benefited from their unwavering commitment to their culture. In a recent New Jersey Business article, "Zappos CEO Adds Happiness to Corporate Culture," they interviewed Hsieh about finding employees that "fit" the Zappos culture:
"OurHR department does a separate set of interviews purely for a culture fit. We test for each and every one of the core values. One of the examples, which I guess is kind of hard to ask as a question, is core value No. 10: Be humble. A lot of candidates relocate, so we pick them up at the airport with the Zappos shuttle, drop them off at the office and they'll go through the day. They'll do a tour and their interviews. What most candidates don't realize is that the interview started when they were picked up at the airport. That's how we test their humility. The recruiting manager will circle back with the shuttle driver later and ask how they were treated when the candidate thought they were off the clock."
2. The "Quitting Bonus"
Zappos will pay new hires $2000 to quit on their first day. To some, this idea may seem odd, however the justification of this practice from Hsieh makes sense. Hsieh feels that this practice helps weed out employees who may not be the right fit or have the passion required for the job. The article "Zappos: Can a Corporate Mission be Happiness?" by Nick Aster is based on Hsieh's keynote speechat SXSW. In the article, Aster writes:
"Tony discussed the corporate culture itself, advising taking plenty of time to hire new employees, but wasting no time to fire those who do not contribute positively to the corporate culture. Barely 2% of new hires take the payout ensuring that only people who see themselves as committed to meaningful work stay on."
3. Customer-Centric Approach
The Zappos culturefocuses on being the leaderin customer service. The goal of every Zappos employee is to make customers happy. In the Bloomberg Businessweek article"Zappos Retails Its Culture," they talk about the attempts made by employees to satisfy customers. In the article, they spoke with a customer service representative from Zappos, as well as Hsieh, who stated:
"More than 95% of Zappos' transactions take place over the Web, so each actual phone call is a special opportunity. They may only call once in their life, but that is our chance to wow them,' Hsieh says."
4. Office Tours
Anyone can take a tour of the Zappos office in Nevada. In the article, "Zappos CEO Adds Happiness to Corporate Culture," Hsieh discussed the reactions from those who have taken a tour of the Zappos office:
"For several years now, we've given tours to the public. I usually ask people what surprised them the most at the end of the tour. The top response I get is that Zappos employees are friendly and say hi' to them and hold the door open for them while they wander around the office. Those in the tour groups say that in their own offices, when they pass an employee they don't know, the person doesn't even make eye contact."
5. The Culture Book
The culture book was created as an outlet to allow the employees at Zappos catch a glimpse of their passion for their work. The book is available to the public to purchase from Zappos.com. Included in the book is a series of short essays written by Zappos employees and their vendors, explainingthe elements that makethe Zappos company culture special and successful. Providing employees with the opportunity to contribute to these types of projects is empowering.
