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Zappos offers new employees $3000 to quit after a week

businessweek.com

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Re: Zappos offers new employees $3000 to quit after a week

#3

Post by noodle »

pmiller2 wrote: post #2

I wonder if 97% will still stay when the economy gets better and there's a reasonable certainty of finding another job in short order.

i'd point out that it looks like they've been doing this for years. the economy was pre-burst when they started doing it.

edit: and since then, they've gone from $1k to $2k to $3k, opposite what you'd expect since they're probably getting more applications now.

Re: Zappos offers new employees $3000 to quit after a week

#5

Post by dalke »

pmiller2 wrote: post #2

I wonder if 97% will still stay when the economy gets better and there's a reasonable certainty of finding another job in short order.

I'm lead to believe that if you're the type of person who would leave for that reason then Zappos doesn't want you as an employee.

Re: Zappos offers new employees $3000 to quit after a week

#7

Post by Symmetry »

jim_h wrote: post #4

Is that $3,000 after taxes or before? It's not really that much (either way) unless you really needed the instant money on the spot. $3000 might only be 2-3 weeks of pay or less. Offer $10,000 and see how well it works out.

There's clearly a level of money you could offer that would get most people taking it and I sort of agree that $3000 isn't a huge test of loyalty, but at the same time its a really good idea.

The people who are most effected by relatively small amounts of money like this are marginal employees - people who don't really think they'll be happy at Zappos or are just working there until something better comes along. If you're getting rid of people who wouldn't have stuck around that long anyways it seems like a really good deal for Zappos (you don't have to pay the wages of the employee _or the people who were training them_). It seems like a really good and obvious in retrospect idea that many other companies might be wise to adopt.

Re: Zappos offers new employees $3000 to quit after a week

#9

Post by bryanlarsen »

Turning down $3000 requires people to internalize a solid commitment to the company. And engenders a huge sense of camaraderie when you know that everybody else you work with has also turned down the money.

And they get these two massive effects by NOT giving away money. It's worth the $3000 to get rid of employees who aren't that committed, but that's minor compared to the effects on the employees who stay.

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