Читать книгу Shapers - Jonas Altman - Страница 19

One of the most dynamic recruitment strategies hails from the pioneering Dutch healthcare company Buurtzorg. All nurses within a team (of up to 12) must unanimously agree on hiring any new member. The bond between nurses is so extraordinary because they ensure all new additions are 100% committed and reliable. When it comes to providing care to patients, it's imperative they have confidence with those they work alongside. Buurtzorg's unprecedented levels of care and massive cost savings are possible in part because of the entrepreneurial creativity granted to nurses. It's also the main reason why the model of neighbourhood care is going global.

What about those times when someone is hired and it turns out to be a snafu? Online shoe retailer Zappos offers $2000 to candidates to quit after the first week of training if they decide the company isn't quite their bag. It's a smart recruiting move. The company recognises the high costs of training and if it's apparent that the candidate isn't working out, they can cut their losses early and avoid further costs. Amazon (which acquired Zappos in 2009) has since adopted the practice, dubbing it ‘pay to quit’. Instead of a one‐time deal during training, fulfilment centre employees get the offer each year where the payout increases by $1000 (up to a maximum of $5000).

Zappos also employs the ‘Nice Guy Test’. A clever way to reveal this is from the Zappos shuttle driver. If a potential candidate is rude to the driver on the way to the interview, you can be sure that Jack or Jill ain't getting that gig.

To wrap it all together and really transmit its culture, a company must live its values. In 2014, leading pharmacy, CVS, decided to stop selling cigarettes. As a healthcare company, CEO Larry Merlo claimed the practice was inconsistent with its purpose. That kind of bold move may have resulted in billions of lost sales, but it helped shape a consistent story that employees, stakeholders, consumers, and the public can rally around. A year later, CVS was ranked number 7 on the Fortune 500 list, with revenue jumping to $153.3 billion USD.

What's essential today for healthy company culture is the transparency of a true value exchange.

Or take Southwest Airlines. The airline industry is often criticised for grumpy employees and poor customer service (and, yes, sometimes even dragging uncooperative passengers off the plane). A celebrated Harvard Business Review case of Southwest revealed that the airline's culture was extraordinary. While other airlines permitted their financial numbers to dictate their expansion plans before they addressed their corporate culture, Southwest built, and sustained, its spirited culture first. Regardless of the pressure to expand, the behemoth only grew if it could simultaneously uphold company values. Turns out, Southwest is inspired to go that extra mile.

In one business, gifting customers with financial rewards might get you fired. At the Ritz Carlton, well‐known for giving up to $2000 per employee to spend on customer delight, it can get you promoted. A company's culture is informed by the norms, rituals, behaviours, and unwritten rules that govern any community. What's essential today for healthy company culture is the transparency of a true value exchange. The psychological contracts that weighted heavily in favour of the organisation are giving way to new ones better balanced with the employee.