CONCEPT 4

Review & Evaluate

1. Review and evaluate approaches to recruitment

2. Review and evaluate approaches to leadership

3. Review and evaluate approaches to development

A Quick Case Study 04

Zappos are taking the online retail world by storm with a focus on people and improvement

Under the steady gaze of Tony Hseih, Zappos have risen from a startup online shoe store to a multi-product online behemoth

Let’s investigate their story further

The story behind Zappos

• Take the shoe market online partnering with hundreds of brands to build a $1 billion revenue businessThe Idea

• Free shipping both ways, 365 day return policy, 24/7 customer supportThe Model

• Acquisition by Amazon in 2009 for $1.2 billion

Forbes ‘Best Companies to work for’ listThe Results

The story behind Zappos

The story behind Zappos

Deliver WOW through service

Positive, passionate, humble, creative, openminded staff

How do Great Retailers do What They Do?

Ongoing development of people management practices makes everyone happy

• Lead with vision and purpose

• Invest in recruitment and development

• Pay the wrong people not to join the company

• Obsessively review performance with a view to improvement

• Know that happy staff create happy customers

Review and evaluate approaches to recruitment

Ensure ongoing compliance with

relevant employment legislation

Safeguard employee wages and conditions

Analyse recruitment records to make

recommendations for improvements to

policy

Review and evaluate approaches to leadership

Reflect upon personal

leadership performance

Review team objectives

Retain people

management records

Review and evaluate approaches to development

Finalise learning relationships

Document completed learning

initiatives

Recommend improvements to

learning frameworks

ACTIVITY – Zappos

Workshop Activity

1. How would you recommend Zappos evaluate the relative

success of their recruitment strategy of offering new recruits

$2000- to leave during the 5 week induction phase.

2. How does the leadership approach of Tony Hseih compare to

that of Steve Jobs?

3. The Zappos organisational values are the cornerstone of

their organisational culture. Select three and

explain how you might develop a learning

pathway to develop new recruits to meet those

objectives.