Chobani is a business game changer. They have become the most popular yogurt brand in the country, upending the security big companies felt to keep doing everything the same way, and most of that accomplishment comes from the CEO’s unique investment in employees. They have also been awarded Great Place To Work® twice. When you need help with your recruiting and hiring, use Recruiteze! Recruiteze is the top free online recruiting software on the market. Start your free trial here.
5 Hiring Lessons We Can Learn From Chobani
#1. It Starts Strategic Hiring Choices
Chobani’s CEO, Hamdi Ulukaya, was an immigrant taking a wild chance at a forsaken yogurt plant in New York. Kraft was selling the plant, and there were 55 people left to close down the plant.
Ulukaya had different plans, rebuilding instead of closing, and he decided to start with a paint job. For that he’d need only 5 of those people.
Inc.com quoted him as saying, “I hired five people from the 55, and those five are still with me. Those five people just rocked. And when the time came and we needed to bring more people in, those five people knew who to call.”
They also quoted Craig Gomez, the company’s head of global human resources, “After you work here for a period of time, it positions you, in essence, to be a scout for talent. We have a lot of employees who refer friends, family members, and colleagues. We think that sort of thing is good for connectivity and for our culture.”
Chobani carefully selected the best of the best from their team, nurtured them, got them invested in the company, and then used them as building blocks for a solid company culture.
#2. Investment in Employees
No employee can be their best without an engaging and productive environment to thrive in. Today’s wisdoms see that environment as one where an employer invests in their employees’ mental and physical wellness, and Chobani has taken a unique and passionate view on the concept.
It starts in the hiring phase. Chobani recognizes that many people who apply for their jobs are already passionate about their yogurt or the job, or both. They don’t want to discourage this enthusiasm with a slow or inconsiderate hiring process, so Gomez told Inc, “We want to bring the same level of sensitivity to job applicants as we do to consumers.”
And Chobani’s benefits are impressively thorough, covering financial, health, and overall wellness in sincere and well-rounded detail.
The top of their careers page features this quote:
“Come as you are, and become the best you”
“Our energetic work environment is a culmination of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Since the beginning, we’ve focused on fostering tight-knit teams that feed off innovation and creativity. We believe that when you’re comfortable being yourself and truly love what you do, amazing things can happen.”
They back that statement up with:
- Six weeks 100% paid parental leave to encourage bonding “with a new child following a birth, adoption, or foster care placement,” so employees can “return to their jobs feeling confident and ready.”
- “A comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability coverage, and flexible spending accounts.”
- A wellness plan including, “a gym membership reimbursement, an employee assistance program, a health advocate program, and Chobani yogurt.”
It doesn’t take long to read Chobani’s benefits list, but it packs a powerful punch. With these benefits, you’ll have a healthy family, a healthy you, a healthy present, and a healthy future. Like they said, wellness benefits make employees feel “confident and ready;” happier, healthier, less stressed employees work their best.
#3. Shares in the Company
Chobani also cuts employees in on the profits. BBC News reported in 2016 that Chobani was offering a 10% share in the company to its employees, with the reward amount being based on the length of time the employee had been working there. That means some employees may end up with “millions of dollars.”
They quoted what Ulukaya told his staff, “This isn’t a gift. It’s a mutual promise to work together with a shared purpose and responsibility. To continue to create something special and of lasting value.”
Ulukaya has since written, “I had 2,000 employees in 2016 when I announced that we were going to give them shares in the company. It was a beautiful day. And the company is different because of it. The staff was always proud, but this ownership piece was missing. This is probably one of the smartest, most tactical things you can do for a company. You’re faster, you’re more passionate. Your people are happier.”
#4. Immigrants and Refugees
Chobani is one the most notable companies hiring refugees because their staff is made up of 30% immigrants and refugees. In an Inc.com article on their refugee policies, they reported 20 languages being spoken in their plants.
Hiring refugees wasn’t a cute political move or a lucky whim, Ulukaya was passionate about hiring immigrants and refugees for two reasons. #1, he was an immigrant himself, from Turkey. #2, he wanted to connect the business with the community it was in and the community was made up of many refugees from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
In the Inc.com article, Ulukaya shared several key sentiments with us:
“They want to work, and they have the right to work. There are obstacles: language, training, and transportation. We figured it out.”
“This was not about politics; this wasn’t my refugee work. This was about hiring from our community. Refugees are dying to provide for their community. I always said that the minute they got the job, that’s the minute they stopped being refugees. It’s been proved to me that this was a plus to the culture.”
“If you want to build a company that truly welcomes people–including refugees–one thing you have to do is throw out this notion of ‘cheap labor.’ That’s really awful. They’re not a different group of people, they&