I always love hearing those stories about Google headquarters and their gym/rock-climbing wall/free lunches/free massages/in-house doctor/pool filled with chocolate pudding (okay, I made that last one up). How cool would that be? Can you imagine a free, hot, restaurant-quality lunch daily, not to mention all those other perks (SO many of which I haven't even listed), all in the name of employee retention, productivity, and happiness? That's a company that works hard to create satisfied, valued workers.
Of course Google is the one we always hear about, but I've noticed some less expected companies are starting to take a cue from Google and are reportedly reaping the rewards. I love this kind of thing because it just goes to show how much people will give to a task (in this case, a career) if the person asking them to do it also takes pride in catering to their needs and wants. I think I might blog about this every now and then, whenever I hear about an unlikely company going the extra mile for their employees. So, here goes the first one in what will hopefully be a pretty interesting series...
...the best place to work as a Customer Service Representative: Zappos.com
Yeah, you know the job. A Customer Service Representative is that person who answers the phone when you call in, foaming at the mouth, because the website has lost your order yet claims it was shipped. You generally don't call these guys just to say "good job." They deal with a lot of angry people...yet Zappos.com (yeah, that shoe website) has a much higher retention rate for the position than the national average. Let's take a look at some of the ways they choose to do things differently:
1. They have spontaneous parades through the call center/ cubicles.
2. One of the company's core values is to "create fun and a little weirdness."
3. Interviews take place in "themed" rooms like, say, Cher's dressing room or a mock up of a talk show, Oprah style (these are real examples).
4. An interview question they ask everyone: "On a scale from 1 to 10, how weird would you say you are?"
5. Free lunch :-)
6. 25-cent vending machines, where all proceeds go to charity.
7. They have a rule that all new hires have to work in a call center for one month, regardless of their position, as part of their customer service training.
8. Senior employees receive the same benefits as those at the very bottom of the totem pole--no extras.
9. HR actively seeks out people who say they enjoy socializing with colleagues.
10. The company maintained all these perks/values even when they were bought by Amazon.com in 2009.
Okay, so while "Customer Service Rep" might not be at the top of my list of potential careers, the corporate culture at Zappos intrigues me, and I've only really covered the tip of the iceberg with this list. Oh, and if you go to the careers section of their website, you're greeted with a music video, made by current employees, describing the company. And don't send them a cover letter--they want a YouTube video instead :-).
Comments/suggestions of other companies to talk about can go below. Have a friend who might be interested (or maybe you're just a blog-reading overachiever)? Share the link! Have a great night!
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