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Culture Drives Success

Here at Zappos we’ve learned a few important things about running and growing a company. We’ve learned that company culture is what makes the difference between success and failure. We’ve learned that if you identify your company’s core values, hire by them, onboard team members by them, and truly live them, then you can get out of the way. Your team will do the best job for you and be able to provide story-worthy (we call it WOW) service and experiences to your customers. Whether you are an entrepreneur just starting out or your business has been around for 100 years, we're here to help YOU!

Culture During Tough Times

We've started capturing what Zappos and other companies are doing for company culture during these unprecedented times. Right now, no one has the "right" answer. But we believe focusing on people and our culture will be the difference between success and failure.

  • Zappos.com For Good Initiatives to get involved in
  • Zappos Advice for Leading a Remote Team
  • Culture and Employee Engagement in a Remote World
  • Resources Share Your Stories

    Is Your New Hire a Culture Fit?

    Ever wonder what questions to ask and how to ask them to ensure you are hiring the right person? In these informational guides you'll get:

  • The Zappos Family Core Values Document
  • The Zappos Core Values Assessment guide
  • 10 Tips for Ensuring That Your Next New Hire is a Culture Fit
  • PDF

    Get our 3-part People Pack

    Download the forms to learn how Zappos approaches recruiting for culture fit.

    Download

    About

    Zappos Insights

    Zappos Insights, a company started by Zappos.com in 2009, was created simply to help share the Zappos Culture with the world. Yep, that means YOU! We are humbled by the attention Zappos has received and all the questions we get about our unique culture, customer service approach and business. We're happy to share how we created our ten core values, built our culture, and run our business based on them because we believe ANY workplace can benefit from identifying and/or strengthening their own culture and core values.

    Learn More

    About

    Zappos

    Zappos.com was born in 1999. The original idea? Create a website that offered the absolute best selection of brands, styles, colors, sizes, and widths of shoes. Over the years we’ve evolved our company and product selection, but never have we lost our focus on the customer. In July of 2009, we announced our plans to join the Amazon family. How did we do that? With a company-wide email from our CEO, Tony Hsieh, that read “Zappos and Amazon sitting in a tree...” With both companies sharing such a strong passion for customer service, we were very excited to begin growing together. Regardless of our structure or where we’ve called home, our goal has always been and will always be to make Zappos the best place for customer service in the world.

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    Culture is

    Happiness

    Great culture leads to employee happiness. The same way a toxic culture leads to unhappiness. Happy employees means higher engagement, profitability, and low turnover.

    Culture is

    People

    Our culture would not be what is it today without the people, past and present. We are all protectors and cultivators of the Zappos Culture; it's what makes it unique and something that changes every day.

    Culture is

    Being Yourself

    I love that I get to be me all day. The culture encourages you to be the same person you are at work as you are at home. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not, which makes Zappos a comfortable place to be.

    Culture is

    Unique

    Every company has a unique culture that's all their own. Just like every person has their own personality, every company has their own culture. Building a culture is a special process that can't be taken lightly. It's the responsibility of every employee to represent and foster culture.

    Culture is

    Fun

    Work can be fun! We have 2 annual parties at Zappos. Our Vendor Party where we invite all of our brands to thank them and celebrate our partnership. And, our employee holiday party. Past epic party themes have ranged from Mardi Gras and old-school hip-hop to a Hawaiian luau at a waterpark. Each has had its own twists and tricks to surprise and delight partygoers. This year, we invited our vendors to run away with us to the “Untamed Circus."

    Culture is

    Perpetual

    Your culture doesn't stay the same, it will continue to evolve. Having a defined set of values will serve as your guide to continue your culture's growth and evolution in a positive direction.

    Culture is

    Not Always Measured

    A strong culture means lower employee burnout and therefore, lower turnover. It leads to higher employee engagement and higher profitability. But really, companies should focus on their culture because it matters. Because it's just the right thing to do. To quote Tony Hsieh, "Just because you can’t measure the ROI of something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. What’s the ROI on hugging your mom?"

    Culture is

    Work-Life Integration

    Companies and employees worry about work-life separation or work-life balance. But why? Wouldn't you rather be a company where your employees easily combine their full self into everything they do? Wouldn't you rather work for a company whose focus on culture allows your job to integrate with your life? It shouldn't be a struggle to find a balance between life and work where you are truly fulfilled and happy.

    Culture is

    Partnerships

    Your vendors have the same objective as you: to sell their product, be successful in their work, and maybe have some fun while doing it. Something unique that Zappos does is allow brand representatives access to all the same sales and inventory information on their products that Zappos has. By working as a team, by partnering, you are setting the stage for success!

    Culture is

    Real

    Your company has a culture. You may not have "planned" it. You may not like it. Or maybe you love it. But it's there. It is real. You can choose to be thoughtful about your company culture. You can set values and identify the behaviors that you want to be the core of your culture. That part is fairly easy. The hard part, is committing to the values once they are set. Living them.

    Culture is

    Core Values

    Values are more than just words, they're a way of life. They are the foundation of your company culture. We know that companies with a strong culture and a higher purpose perform better in the long run. As we continue to grow, we strive to ensure that our culture remains alive and well.

    Culture is

    Your Brand

    A company’s culture and a company’s brand are really just two sides of the same coin. The brand is just a lagging indicator of the culture.