Zappos - Driving employee engagement

Live. Love. Enjoy?

Todays knowledge worker is a prized employee. But keeping these smart employees engaged is a constant challenge.

To drive the Service Experience so often missing in Retail, Zappos fosters a culture that encourages employees to live and work according to their personal values.

Zappos hires based on 10 Core Values as well as fit for the culture. CEO Tony Hsieh is so serious about this approach that you can find this in their hiring FAQs:

Is it true that Zappos offers new-hires $2000 to quit?
Yes, we do offer new hires $2000 to quit. We really want everyone at Zappos to be here because they want to be and because they believe in the culture. If they know they don't quite mesh with our culture, we don't want them to feel stuck here, so we give them an option. Less than 2% of all prospective employees end up accepting the offer.

Yep - It's all about them!

Taking a page right out of Daniel Pink's inspiring book on motivation, Drive, Zappos provides employee autonomy with the 10 Core Values that aim to foster naturally engaged employees:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

Purpose

The Zappos mission is clear and simple. 

• One day, 30% of all retail transactions in the US will be online.
• People will buy from the company with the best service and the best selection.
• Zappos.com will be that online store.

Does employee engagement matter?

You can read more about Zappos in CEO Tony Hsieh's book - Delivering Happiness. But how does your company culture stack up against Zappos and what actions are you taking to drive engagement in your team? Share your thoughts in the comments.