I arrived for my tour an hour early. I could tell you that I’m used to LA traffic so I misjudged how long it would take to get there. The truth is that I was excited and didn’t want to miss a moment. I hung out in my car and tweeted about my upcoming adventure. A few minutes later, I received a tweet back from Zappos. “We look forward to meeting you!”
From the moment I opened the door, there was a party atmosphere. I was welcomed by two affable greeters. They teased and joked with me from the moment I stepped in the door. There was a popcorn machine and two hula hoops in the corner. When I took a turn with the hoop and proved my expertise, I was given a Zappos shot glass.
There were four tours a day. Ours was an intimate group that included a corporate regional manager and life coach – both from the mid-west. First we screened a video explaining the nitty gritty of how Zappos got started. Then we began our fascinating walk around. My first impression: crazy office décor.
We were brought from department to department. Employees seemed focused, energized and happy. One work group had metal triangles suspended near every desk. When we walked by, they dinged their instruments as a way to say hello. When we walked by a conference room, the participants waved at us. What was everyone so happy about?
Here are a few guess:
* Lots of recognition programs – rather than stale portraits of “Employee of the Month,” there were silly caricatures
* Benefits – their program includes 100% health care along with unique perks including financial assistance for adoption and subsidized membership for Weight Watchers
* Self expression – employees are encouraged to dress however they’d like and “a little weirdness” is welcome. On the day of our tour, there was a contest to make the best diorama using Peeps candy.
