I hope you’re having a nice weekend. Here’s this week’s 200 word idea thanks to Decisive by Chip Heath and Dan Heath..
Zappos.com prides itself on world class customer service. So, every hire into Zappos (including a Chief Financial Officer or Head of IT) goes through Customer Service training in their first week. In their second week, they have a person walk in and give them a unique offer. “If you don’t feel Zappos is the right place for you, let us know and we’ll pay you $4000 to quit.”
Why does Zappos do this? Because the offer prods employees to carefully consider the commitment they are making. The misfits (2% of all who get hired) take the $4000 and walk away. Zappos is relieved about this as the cost of a bad hire is much higher than $4000. And, the fits fully commit to succeeding at Zappos. It is a false decision that makes all concerned happy.
Inserting false decisions/check points ensures we check our commitment from time to time and avoid going into “auto pilot” mode. Amazon has started doing the same in fulfilment centers via a Pay-to-Quit program where employees receive a note every year with an offer that starts at $1000 dollars. The headline – “Please don’t take this offer.”
Source and thanks to: www.EBSketchin.com
‘The $4000 really makes people think, is this the right role for me? Is this the right culture for me? Are these the core values I’m actually going to live by?’ | Jenn Lim, Zappos.com
A Learning a Day 