During the first year Disneyland opened, not all of the employees who worked there were hired as Disney cast members. Walt had initially decided to bring in outside vendors to fill certain positions including parking and security. Soon after that decision he recognized he had made a mistake. “I couldn’t have outside help and still get over my idea of hospitality,” he said.
What Walt realized was that recruiting the right people and instilling in them your company culture is an essential part of building a unified workforce. He also created the model for hiring that remains the standard today—we hire for attitude, not aptitude. Today, Disney recruits, selects, and trains everyone who works with the company in the same way— whether cast members or third-party employees. Just as long-term care facilities integrate a wide-range of
employees carrying out a variety jobs, Disney uses its unique corporate culture to unite all workers in a common goal: to help the guest.
Walt once said, “I tell the security police that they are never to consider themselves cops. They are there to help people. The visitors are our guests. Once you get the policy going, it grows.” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? At Disney Institute, we help many organizations develop their own models and best practices for hiring and retaining highly-skilled employees who understand and convey the beliefs and values of the business to produce outstanding results.
RECRUITING THE BEST
Disney cast members aren’t just hired for a job; they play a role in the “show.” Every aspect of the casting (hiring) process is a presentation of the Disney culture. In essence, Disney begins the training process even before a new cast member is hired. For example, the whimsy of the casting building is designed to ease the minds of anxious applicants, while communicating our rich Disney heritage.
Early in the process, candidates can view a film depicting what it is like to work at Disney. The film also communicates conditions of employment. After viewing it, a small percentage of candidates self-select out of the process. This is a good thing, since those candidates might not be “right fit” for the culture—and Disney might not be right-fit for them. This process not only saves time and money, but it leaves the applicants feeling good about themselves and our company.
During the interview process, casting professionals will base the hiring decision on work experience, personality and educational background. By the time they go through their interview, candidates will have a basic picture of the company’s culture and
expectations.
The philosophies underlying the Disney approach have application to companies of any size. Consider the processes you are using and the messages you are sending to your potential employees. Are you communicating conditions of employment up front? Are you creating a positive environment that truly welcomes potential employees? Consider intriguing ways you can introduce applicants to your “conditions of employment” and your culture. You might simply write those on a piece of paper to share with potential applicants as was done by one small business owner.
UNDERSTANDING EXPECTATIONS
A key factor in employee retention is making certain employees understand what’s expected of them, and why the “rules” exist. A critical role of leaders is to communicate expectations to employees and for the communication to be consistent with actions. Communication is a reflection of the culture, so we ensure that the messages we send, the methods we use to send them, and the sources they come from, reflect the elements of our culture that we want to perpetuate.
More here: http://www.trainingindustry.com/media/3532077/disneypeoplemanagementlessons.pdf
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