STEPHANIE RUHLE SAT DOWN WITH THE CEO TO LEARN HOW TO AVOID
HIRING JERKS IN THIS WEEK’S
BETTER BUSINESS.
BETTER BUSINESS. >> Reporter: BOX IS OBVIOUSLY A
GREAT IDEA BUT A GREAT IDEA
DOESN’T TURN INTO MUCH UNLESS
YOU GET GREAT PEOPLE.
HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS
BEEN SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU FROM
THE BEGINNING AND HOW YOU WENT
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. >> EARLY ON I REALIZED, JUST
SITTING THERE, PACKING BOXES
YOURSELF, I CAN DO THAT ALL DAY.
YOUR FIFTH ORDER, THEN IT’S 30
ORDERS, 100 ORDERS A DAY.
YOU START TO LOOK AROUND AND
YOU’RE LIKE, THIS IS GOING TO
TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT.
AND I CAN’T PACK ALL THESE BOXES
MYSELF AND NEITHER CAN THE FOUR
PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE GARAGE
AT THIS TIME.
EARLY ON I KNEW THAT WE WOULD
HAVE TO BRING A LOT OF FOLKS ON
BOARD AND THAT’S WHEN I STARTED
TO REALLY CONCENTRATE ON IT.
>> Reporter: WHAT’S THE MAGIC?
TRADITIONALLY PEOPLE THINK I’M
GOING TO TAKE A JOB WHERE I CAN
GET PAID THE MOST AMOUNT OF
MONEY.
MONEY. IT’S NOT JUST WHAT YOU GET PAID
BECAUSE IF YOU LOVE WHAT YOU’RE
DOING, IF YOU LIKE BEING THERE,
YOU’RE GOING TO GO FROM BEING A
SHIFT WORKER TO A STAKE HOLDER.
HOW DID YOU CREATE THAT?
>> IF YOU HIRE SOMEONE THAT’S
GOING TO LEAVE YOU FOR AN EXTRA
THOUSAND BUCKS A YEAR, YOU’RE
ALWAYS GOING TO BE PLAYING THAT
GAME OF TRYING TO PAY TOP SALARY
AND NOT REALLY VALUING THE OTHER
THINGS WE BRING TO THE TABLE.
>> Reporter: SOME MAKE THE
ARGUMENT THAT CAPITALISM WORKING
MEANS OPTIMIZING EVERY LAST
DOLLAR, AND THAT’S PAYING YOUR
EMPLOYEES THE LEAST, CHARGING
YOUR CUSTOMERS THE MOST AND
RETURNING THE MOST IN TERMS OF
BOTTOM LINE.
BOTTOM LINE. >> I CAN’T ARGUE WITH THAT, BUT
THOSE SAME FOLKS THAT SAY THAT’S
HOW YOU SHOULD OPERATE A
COMPANY, I GUARANTEE YOU,
PROBABLY DON’T GO TO A CRUISE
LINE BUFFET AND EAT UNTIL THEY
THROW UP.
THROW UP. AND WHY DON’T THEY DO THAT?
THAT’S OPTIMIZING, RIGHT?
IT’S FREE FOOD.
YOU PAID IT.
EAT ALL THE CRAB LEGS UNTIL YOU
GORGE YOURSELF.
GORGE YOURSELF. GO TO THE BATHROOM, RELIEVE
YOURSELF, EAT SOME MORE.
THAT’S OPTIMIZING.
THAT’S OPTIMIZING. TAKING ANYTHING TO THE EXTREME
OFTENTIMES DOESN’T YIELD A GREAT
RESULT.
RESULT. >> FOR THE MOST PART, 200-PLUS
PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE, YOU
PERSONALLY HAVE ACTUALLY
INTERVIEWED THEM BECAUSE OF THIS
ETHOS THROUGHOUT THE
ORGANIZATION THAT KNOWS YOUR
POLICY.
POLICY. YOU ONLY SPEND 20, 30 MINUTES IN
AN INTERVIEW PROCESS.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE’S A
CHESHG.
CHESHG. I TELL YOU, I PUT MY BEST FOOT
FWRARD IN AN INTERVIEW.
>> IT’S THE OTHER WAY OF
THINKING ABOUT IT.
IF YOU CAN’T HIDE THE FACT
YOU’RE A JERK FOR 20, 30
MINUTES, YOU’D BE SURPRISED.
SOME FOLKS CAN’T HELP
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. >> Reporter: GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE.
>> THERE ARE THINGS LIKE EVEN
THOUGH MY TEAM WAS TERRIBLE, I
REALLY -- I DID THIS, I DID
THAT.
THAT. AND YOU’RE LIKE, WAS IT JUST YOU
OR WAS IT OTHER PEOPLE AROUND
YOU?
YOU? AND I THINK THAT STARTS TO CREEP
IN.
IN. AT LEAST FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE A
YELLOW FLAG.
YELLOW FLAG. >> Reporter: DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU SLIP IN
THERE, LIKE HOW YOU KNOW YOUR
JERK RADAR WILL GO OFF IF THEY
GIVE YOU THE WRONG ANSWER?
>> WHEN YOU ASK FOLKS, DO YOU
HAVE AN OPEN MIND?
VERY FEW PEOPLE SAY, NOPE,
TOTALLY CLOSED.
TOTALLY CLOSED. THEN I SAY, THINK ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY
BELIEVED IN OR THAT YOU REALLY
THOUGHT WAS TRUE, INSIDE OR
OUTSIDE THE OFFICE, WHEN WAS THE
LAST TIME SOMEONE CHANGED YOUR
MIND ABOUT IT AND WHAT WAS IT?
IT GETS REALLY HARD?
>> Reporter:
>> Reporter: >> YEAH I OFTEN ASK MYSELF AND I
HAVE TO CHECK MYSELF.
IT’S LIKE, AM I KEEPING AN OPEN
MIND?
MIND? AM I MAKING SURE I ALLOW
DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW IN.
EARLY DAYS OF A COMPANY YOU WANT
A SWISS ARMY KNIFE.
YOU WANT FOLKS THAT CAN DO
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. LATER ON YOU NEED MORE DOMAIN
EXPERTISE.
EXPERTISE. AND SO I DO FIND FOLKS WITH
DOMAIN EXERT CEASE AND
DOMAIN EXPERTISE AND I LOT OF
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. HOW DO YOU FIND PEOPLE WITH THE
EXPERTISE AND OPEN-MINDEDNESS
THAT IF THEY SEE THE TRASH
OVERFLOWING, THEY COULD BE THE
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TRASH
IS OVERFLOWING, I’M HERE, I’M
GOING TO TAKE IT OUT.
IT’S RARE.
IT’S RARE. SO IT’S TOUGH TO FIND THAT, BUT
JUST BECAUSE IT’S TOUGH DOESN’T