Zappos will no longer list available job postings on its web site as part of an initiative to make the hiring process more efficient.
“Last year, we received more than 31,000 applicants and hired about 1.5% of all those applicants,” said Michael Bailen, HR Manager at Zappos, in a statement on ERE.net. “Our recruiting team and hiring teams were constantly on their heels trying to keep up with the volume. Applicants would apply for multiple roles, weren’t qualified, or weren’t a culture/team fit. We’ve been committed to getting back to every single applicant (which surprisingly is a differentiator in this recruiting world we live in).”
To be considered for employment at Zappos, interested candidates now must join the Zappos Insider program. Prospective employees must register for the program using their LinkedIn and Facebook accounts or email addresses, and then upload their resumes. Candidates are then required to fill out a goal-oriented questionnaire detailing why they are a good fit for Zappos. In addition to accessing employment listings, Zappos Insiders have the opportunity to chat with employees to better understand the company culture and get VIP access to corporate news.
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In a blog post outlining the shift in hiring strategy, Stacy Zapar, Social Recruiter and Sourcing Strategist at Zappos said: “Instead of reviewing applications all day and sending countless sign-off emails, our recruiters are focusing on proactive sourcing, driving people to join our Insider program, having two-way conversations, meeting people, networking, chatting with Insiders, answering questions, engaging on social media, employer branding and proactive pipelining so that we know exactly who we want to interview once a position becomes available.”
The careers portion of the web site lists 25 open positions in the technology department, but only Insiders can apply.
This isn’t the first time Zappos sparked controversy with its business strategies. The online giant made headlines executives announced they would eliminate job titles and change the company’s corporate hierarchy by the end of 2014.
