Teams are taken very seriously at Whole Foods. Not only are company employees referred to as “team members,” but teams a
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 12:56 pm
Teams are taken very seriously at Whole Foods. Not only are
company employees referred to as “team members,” but teams are
given a great deal of freedom to make important decisions. For
example, teams help decide what items to order and sell, and how to
price and promote them. Although it might not seem all that unusual
for a company to give teams the liberty to make decisions so they
can carry out their core functional responsibilities, Whole Foods
goes much further in providing autonomy to its teams. Perhaps there
is no better example of this than how new team members are hired at
the company.
In most organizations, individuals seeking employment fill out
an application form or submit a résumé. Those with qualifications
that are judged to match a job description are interviewed by human
resource personnel or a manager to make sure the applicant fits
with the job and organization. At Whole Foods, the process is quite
different and much more involved. Applicants not only fill out an
application and have one-on-one interviews with managers, but they
also have interviews with panels composed of recruiters, managers,
and select team members. But that’s not all. An applicant who makes
it through this process is placed on a team for a 30-day trial
period, after which the team votes for whether or not to accept the
applicant on their team. Applicants who don’t get a two-thirds vote
are out of that team. They may be placed on a new team, where the
trial process begins anew, or they leave the company.
This hiring process typically takes about 60 days and is applied
at all levels of the organization, from employees who stock shelves
in the stores to accountants who work in the corporate office.
Whole Foods believes that hiring decisions should be made by the
team members, in part, because they’re the ones who are most
directly affected by the choices that are made. A new hire who ends
up hurting a team’s performance will reduce bonuses paid to team
members, whereas page 361 the opposite would be true of a
hire that ends up promoting a team’s performance. Whole Foods also
believes that the team members themselves are the best judges of
who might fit within their team. Finally, involving team members in
the hiring process promotes a sense of ownership for the decision,
and following from this, team members may be more inclined to help
a new hire who is struggling to catch on.
11.1What label would best describe the type of
team that Whole Foods uses in its stores? Explain.
11.2Describe the advantages and disadvantages
of Whole Foods’ hiring process with respect to managing team
composition.
11.3What steps could Whole Foods take to
mitigate potential disadvantages of their hiring
process?
No plagiarism
company employees referred to as “team members,” but teams are
given a great deal of freedom to make important decisions. For
example, teams help decide what items to order and sell, and how to
price and promote them. Although it might not seem all that unusual
for a company to give teams the liberty to make decisions so they
can carry out their core functional responsibilities, Whole Foods
goes much further in providing autonomy to its teams. Perhaps there
is no better example of this than how new team members are hired at
the company.
In most organizations, individuals seeking employment fill out
an application form or submit a résumé. Those with qualifications
that are judged to match a job description are interviewed by human
resource personnel or a manager to make sure the applicant fits
with the job and organization. At Whole Foods, the process is quite
different and much more involved. Applicants not only fill out an
application and have one-on-one interviews with managers, but they
also have interviews with panels composed of recruiters, managers,
and select team members. But that’s not all. An applicant who makes
it through this process is placed on a team for a 30-day trial
period, after which the team votes for whether or not to accept the
applicant on their team. Applicants who don’t get a two-thirds vote
are out of that team. They may be placed on a new team, where the
trial process begins anew, or they leave the company.
This hiring process typically takes about 60 days and is applied
at all levels of the organization, from employees who stock shelves
in the stores to accountants who work in the corporate office.
Whole Foods believes that hiring decisions should be made by the
team members, in part, because they’re the ones who are most
directly affected by the choices that are made. A new hire who ends
up hurting a team’s performance will reduce bonuses paid to team
members, whereas page 361 the opposite would be true of a
hire that ends up promoting a team’s performance. Whole Foods also
believes that the team members themselves are the best judges of
who might fit within their team. Finally, involving team members in
the hiring process promotes a sense of ownership for the decision,
and following from this, team members may be more inclined to help
a new hire who is struggling to catch on.
11.1What label would best describe the type of
team that Whole Foods uses in its stores? Explain.
11.2Describe the advantages and disadvantages
of Whole Foods’ hiring process with respect to managing team
composition.
11.3What steps could Whole Foods take to
mitigate potential disadvantages of their hiring
process?
No plagiarism