The Zappos Culture Book
What is
The Zappos Culture Book?
"In my book 'Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose', I write about how a company's culture and a company's brand are really just two sides of the same coin. The brand is simply a lagging indicator of the culture.
Over the past 13+ years, we've continuously experienced rapid growth. As we continue to grow and hire new people, we need to make sure that they understand and become a part of our culture. That is the purpose of this culture book - - to provide a glimpse of what the Zappos culture is all about to new hires prospective new hires, our vendors and partners, and anyone else who might be interested.
Of course, the Zappos culture means different things to different people, so I thought the best way for people to learn what the Zappos culture was all about was to hear from our employees directly."
-Tony Hsieh
What Does the Culture Mean to You?
Zappos culture is holding the door open for someone, helping out on the phones during the holidays, 1500 employees embracing the downtown move, wearing a costume on a Wednesday for the hell of it, wrapping an entire team’s desks in plastic wrap, having a meeting in a bedazzled spaceship, calling your coworkers family, taking a Science of Happiness class and then walking over to listen to Sir Ken Robinson speak. The list goes on and on b/c this company is always changing; however, the culture stays tried-and-true.
-Kara O.
Zappos culture, to me, is not being afraid to express oneself. By itself this doesn’t seem like much, but when compared to equivalent environments at different companies, it’s the difference between going to work and loving to go to work.
-Charles A.
Zappos culture is contagious. It’s something that you feel the second you walk through the door and sticks with you long after you leave. You’d really have to try to not be in a good mood at work, and that’s what makes it such a fun place to work. The culture at Zappos just comes naturally. I love being able to work in an environment where you don’t have to try to make relationships, they just happen.
-Danielle K.
"To me, the Zappos culture embodies many different elements. It's about always looking for new ways to WOW everyone we come in contact with. It's about building relationships where we treat each other like family. It's about teamwork and having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously. It's about growth, both personal and professional. It's about achieving the impossible with fewer people. It's about openness, taking risks, and not being afraid to make mistakes. It's about being part of a story that never stops unfolding. And it's about having faith that if we do the right thing, then in the long run we will be a part of building something great.
Our culture is based on our 10 core values.
Unlike most companies, where core values are just a plaque on the wall, our core values play a big part in how we hire, train, and develop our employees.
In addition to trying to WOW our customers, we also try to WOW our employees and the vendors and business partners that we work with. We believe that it creates a virtuous cycle, and in our own way, we're making the world a better place and improving people's lives. It's all part of our long term vision to deliver happiness to the world."
-Tony Hsieh
