According to the Financial Review Boss, Zappos, the billion-dollar plus online shoe store, offers new recruits $3,000 to quit.

They say it helps weed out undesirable employees. And ultimately, bad customer service can cost a lot more (hundreds of thousands of dollars)…

Zappos says 2-3% quit and take the cash.

Video

People are now being asked to submit resume cover letters via video. These days you can create one easily enough with your smart phone.

Undercover

At Zappos, the driver picking new applicants up at the airport is also there to spy on them, goading them to tell him what they really think of the company. The minute you say you hate the company you lose the interview.

Collaboration

Facebook provides a laundromat to encourage strangers (fellow employees) to chat to each other while they wash their clothes, and ideally, collaborate.

Temps

Almost 45% of workers at Microsoft are there on a contingent basis, allowing the company to quickly scale up and down according to demand.

“Some companies aim for 50% contingent workers”, says John Sullivan, a recruitment expert visiting Australia.

You choose

At Google, after recruits are put through a six-week boot camp, they’re asked if they want to do a different job to the one they applied for.

They also host “Hackamonth” where employees can work on any project they like for that month. At they end, if they like it, they can transfer to any other project without approval.

“Does it keep people excited?” Sullivan asks. “It sure does.”

Flexibility

Deloitte gives their employees the opportunity to nominate whether they would like to dial their careers up or down, work more or less, or travel more or less.

Wouldn’t you like that?

“You can change your own job at will, without approval. Two thirds wanted more work.”

At Best Buys, an electronics retailer in the US, employees in Head Office can work wherever and whenever they like, so long as they produce good results.

Employee turnover is 45% lower, saving over $13 million per year.

And Sullivan says these workers are also 35% more productive.

Benefits

Google’s employee benefits are already famous: lap pools, massages, free food, valet parking, live music every lunchtime, and dogs in the office.

Poach

Google writes its strategic plan on a whiteboard in the lobby to remind people what they should be doing.

It’s also plastered that same strategic plan to the side of a bus that drives by Microsoft in Seattle, where Google is trying to recruit.

Outside the Yahoo head office, there’s often a taco truck waiting to do business.

“It’s run by their competitors and it doesn’t sell tacos, it gives them away if you bring your resume”, says Sullivan.

“Another firm has been putting recruiting notices in Yahoo’s bathroom”, says Sullivan.

“Yahoo gets raided hourly”, he adds.

The numbers

Sullivan notes: “It takes nearly 8 people at IBM to produce the same revenue as one person at Apple.”

When you look at profit per employee, the figures are just as stark:

HP $20,235

IBM $36,609

Microsoft $260,756

Google $299,874

Apple $522,043

“So it takes 15 more employees at IBM and 2 more at HP, to make the same profit.”

Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. www.jamiemcintyre.com

Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. http://www.jamiemcintyre.com

Author Bio: Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. www.jamiemcintyre.com

Category: World Affairs
Keywords: 21st Century Education,Australia,business,jamie micntyre,how to,management,pay,recruitment,zappos