Corporate culture…so often talked about today. But just what is a company’s culture? Answering such a question could conceivably produce as many answers as there are major employers! But one company has sought to defy the norm. This company has sought to make its culture not only the pillar of its definition, but also its competitive advantage.
This culture is not something grown in the Petri dish of corporate America…The name of this company is Zappos.com Inc. and the culture—from the Henderson, Nevada HQ to the Shepherdsville, Kentucky distribution center—is what one might loosely define as modern-progressive and somewhat typical of a dot-com. You see, Zappos cuts out as many of the undesirables such as stuffy dress codes, rigid hours, and limited benefits, while also supplying employees with catered meals, parties, free vending, on and off-site recreation, and comprehensive insurance. The idea is simple: Take care of employees and happier employees will give 110% to taking care of the company and its customers. Reminds me a little bit of the storied environment at Google’s HQ.
Reading about Zappos (and believe me, the business model could fill a book—several have been written), I came to discover each year there’s a Culture Book published. It’s sort of a yearbook for Zappos employees and vendor partners. By the way, now I should mention, Zappos is an online retailer that mainly deals in shoes, but also carries a wide variety of department store-type merchandise. Back to the book. The Culture Book is full of employee-written essays and photos of Zappos employees providing WOW (a company buzzword) customer service and having WOW good times.
As I perused the 300+ pages of essays, I found more than a few recurrent themes. Most Zapponians, as they’re called, praise the company for its generous benefits and perks. Some of them gush to the point it almost reads like they’re sucking up. But some common topics include:
• Heartfelt stories
• The 10 Core Values
• Pain and loss experienced when Zappos had to lay off some employees
• A genuine connection between employees as family members
• Superior opportunities for career growth
• Each voice having an important and distinct place
• Office parades…Check out YouTube for a video explanation of this.
• Many inside jokes
A few of the more unique essays include:
• A recipe for pecan pie
• One is written completely backwards. I tried to read it. Parts were in Spanish. And backwards. You gotta give me kudos for trying…
• A review of the McSkillet Burrito. It didn’t get rave reviews, but the Zapponian didn’t totally trash it either. Is it better than all the free food in the company cafeteria?
• Several essays trended toward negative, which surprised me. Not because some unhappy employees (and even a place as happy as Zappos is going to have some) won’t use such an opportunity to vent, but rather I’m surprised these cleared the editors.
What is clear to anyone that reads the 2009 Zappos Culture Book (2009 is most current) is that Zapponians are a happy, well-treated bunch. The essays shared are clearly theirs. While the company’s loose rulebook and “embrace-anything” culture may seem the anti-corporate to the extreme, it seems to be working. Being named #23 on Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work and clearing one-billion in sales (when the economy was in the crapper) shows Zappos is doing something right. It’s a place where 10 Core Values, culture, customer service, mutual respect, and transparency come together and shape a business model that could very well be the antithesis to stodgy corporate culture.
The essayist on p. 199 says it best, “…Economically, the world has changed drastically…only the strongest will remain standing—Zappos has proven to be one of them.”
GET IT
When I first got wind of this book, I wanted it and I wanted it NOW! For a company owned by Amazon (pioneer of eReaders), I was disappointed to find the 2009 Culture Book not available in a digital edition. But there’s a good reason: This hard cover of nearly 350 thick, glossy pages is filled with photo spreads and graphics. eInk simply wouldn’t do it justice. An iPad might. But for now you have to order it direct from Zappos. I will say this, after reading about Zappos’ superior and slightly wacky customer service, I wish I would’ve called instead of placing a boring online order.
Half.com, Craigslist, the Buffalo Library, none of these had this or any previous editions of the Culture Book. Now that I’ve read it cover to cover, I’m thinking of maybe donating it. Or should I take advantage of the 365-day return policy? Ok, I wouldn’t do that.
All in all, this book makes for some fun, light reading. The movers and shakers in a business could especially profit from the ideas presented in building a happy, successful workforce. While not every company can let its hair down as much as Zappos, the underlying principles are overall worthy of consideration.
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