Page 37 - The Apple Experience

or a company, look outside the industry for employees. “I’d rather hire a jazz
musician, a dancer, or a captain of the Israeli army. They can learn about

banking. It’s much more difficult for bankers to unlearn their bad habits.”
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Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

The Harvard research also points out that Southwest Airlines has

prospered for forty years by embracing the hire-for-attitude philosophy.

Sherry Phelps, a top executive in the Southwest Airlines People Department

says, “The first thing we look for is the warrior spirit,” She says, “So much of
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our history was born out of battles—fighting for the right to be an airline,

fighting off the big guys who wanted to squash us, now fighting off the low-

cost airlines trying to emulate us. We are battle-born, battle-tried people.

Anyone we add has to have some of that warrior spirit.” Sound familiar?

I understand what Sherry means about hiring people who fit the

Southwest spirit. I fly Southwest frequently, especially on West Coast trips.

On a flight from Oakland to Phoenix, one flight attendant had me and three
other Gallo Communications employees roaring hysterically as he reviewed

the safety instructions. Another Southwest flight attendant has become a

YouTube sensation because he literally raps the lyrics to the safety instruction

(some criticize this behavior, but I actually think some levity actually forces

you to pay attention to the instructions instead of a dull, plodding,

uninterested delivery). Southwest has built a reputation for reliable service at

a good price, but it’s their people who make flying a more enjoyable

experience. Southwest cannot train for personality; it hires for personality.

Most corporate hiring managers and human resources (HR) professionals
focus on knowledge: how much does the candidate know about the industry

or product line? Apple is perfectly fine hiring a candidate who has 10 percent

knowledge and 90 percent passion. I’ve met some employees who had never

even owned a Mac product prior to applying. Apple doesn’t want to know how