Human Resource Management and Vanessa Wise Kaplan
Taking Responsibility: Zappos
Vanessa Wise Kaplan University
AB203: Human Resources Management –04
Professor Joseph Bathan
February 21, Year 2014
Zappo’s is an online retailer with dynamic fulfilling company couture. The company mission is to have a great place to work, and in that environment, employees would delight customers, and loyal customers would provide the income needed to please shareholders (P. 191). The hiring process aims to find and keep employees who share the company’s values, such as “Deliver Wow through service” and “Create fun and a little weirdness.” At Zappo’s there are two interviews a successful applicant will undergo. The first interview can be done via the phone in which a candidates skills and experience is discussed. The second interview is set up in a room that resembles a television talk show where applicants are questioned about Zappo’s core values. This is done to get a sense of what type of person the candidate may be and if they are they are eager to. Candidates are being tested from the beginning when they are transported by the shuttle bus, with the mock newspaper to measure creativity and open mindedness, to the lunch provided to see how candidates interact with others. Upon researching, Zappo’s meet all criteria for a successful selection.
A successful selection method should invoke reliability, validity, should be generalizable, practical, and legal. Upon reviewing Zappo’s selection method they meet all criteria. The online store can measure the success of its selection methods by sharing theirs values, empowers them to please customers, and encourages them to have fun.
I do not recommend decision makers at Zappo’s use highly structured job interviews if they are in pursuit of the best employees. Their different approach for interviews, get more accurate results because the candidates are unaware, which yields a better
Vanessa Wise Kaplan University
AB203: Human Resources Management –04
Professor Joseph Bathan
February 21, Year 2014
Zappo’s is an online retailer with dynamic fulfilling company couture. The company mission is to have a great place to work, and in that environment, employees would delight customers, and loyal customers would provide the income needed to please shareholders (P. 191). The hiring process aims to find and keep employees who share the company’s values, such as “Deliver Wow through service” and “Create fun and a little weirdness.” At Zappo’s there are two interviews a successful applicant will undergo. The first interview can be done via the phone in which a candidates skills and experience is discussed. The second interview is set up in a room that resembles a television talk show where applicants are questioned about Zappo’s core values. This is done to get a sense of what type of person the candidate may be and if they are they are eager to. Candidates are being tested from the beginning when they are transported by the shuttle bus, with the mock newspaper to measure creativity and open mindedness, to the lunch provided to see how candidates interact with others. Upon researching, Zappo’s meet all criteria for a successful selection.
A successful selection method should invoke reliability, validity, should be generalizable, practical, and legal. Upon reviewing Zappo’s selection method they meet all criteria. The online store can measure the success of its selection methods by sharing theirs values, empowers them to please customers, and encourages them to have fun.
I do not recommend decision makers at Zappo’s use highly structured job interviews if they are in pursuit of the best employees. Their different approach for interviews, get more accurate results because the candidates are unaware, which yields a better
References: Gerhart, B., Hollenbeck, J., Noe, R., & Wright, P. (2014). Fundamentals of human resource management (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.