Howdy HR friends!👋

Happy 1st of July! Let’s kick start H2/Q3 with a bang!

Today is the 2nd in our 3-part series on how brands we all know and love, hire for purpose and culture.

Missed Friday’s edition? Would you take a $4k cheque to leave during onboarding? Check it out here.

Let’s jump into today’s topic shall we?

🚦Coming up

In today’s edition

🌱 Hiring for Purpose: Patagonia's Radical Approach to Culture & Sustainability

🛋️ The Break Room: Would your company adopt Patagonia's values-first hiring practices?

📚 Human Readsources: DEI policy updates, troubling employment outlook, and the reality behind "fake office productivity"

💭Opening thoughts

Wait, 4% turnover?! That’s a mountainous achievement.

While most companies struggle with 30-40% annual turnover rates, Patagonia maintains an astonishing 4% rate during the “Great Resignation” era.

This proves authentic values-based hiring delivers real business advantages.

HR metrics you can take straight to the bank!

This all stems from Patagonia's unconventional recruitment strategy.

It prioritizes mission alignment over technical qualifications which creates a team who are intrinsically motivated to advance the company's environmental and social goals.

HR leaders at Patagonia function as cultural gatekeepers. In a good way.

They design interview processes that probe candidates' genuine commitment to sustainability and outdoor ethics rather than merely assessing professional competencies.

Could you replicate their strategies in your business? Read on and we’ll see…

For easy reading

Today’s edition is presented by

1440 Media

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🧠Let’s unpick

⛰️ Hiring for Purpose: Patagonia's Radical Approach

In a world where companies struggle with record-high turnover rates, Patagonia’s 4% turnover suggests they've cracked the code by prioritizing values above everything else when hiring.

Their recruiters actually read resumes "bottom-up," focusing first on interests and activities rather than job titles.

In an age where we’re swamped by AI applicants and cookie cutter resume templates: this technique could be worth a try!

And the results speak volumes.

9,000 applications per open position and nearly 100% return rate for new mothers.

Their family-friendly benefits (on-site childcare, nannies on business trips) and environmental activism support (paid time off for protests, bail for peaceful protesters) create genuine loyalty that traditional perks simply can't match.

The lesson here isn't about copying Patagonia's specific policies, but understanding their approach: seek culture add not just culture fit.

Create benefits that authentically reflect your values and make decisions "as though you'll be in business for another hundred years."

When your hiring process aligns with your actual company values, not just the ones in your handbook, retention follows naturally.

You can read more at...

🔗 Patagonia: Where Mission Drives Profit, Not the Reverse (Good Futures)

🔗 Patagonia's Radical Culture: Where Surfing and Sustainability Meet Success (LinkedIn Talent Blog)

🔗 Patagonia's Sustainable Recruitment: Low Turnover Through Environmental Values (Farrell Associates)

👀Too long didn’t read

TLDR

Patagonia's hiring philosophy flips the script by prioritizing values alignment over traditional qualifications. When you hire people who genuinely connect with your mission, you don't just build a workforce; you create a community that sticks around.

Today’s edition is still presented by

1440 Media

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🎬Lights, camera, action!

Takeaway and try

🔍 Flip your resume review process upside down by starting with personal interests and activities instead of credentials. You might discover mission-aligned candidates who would otherwise get filtered out.

🌈 Ask candidates directly about their values during interviews, not just their skills. The strongest long-term hires often have personal principles that naturally align with your company's mission.

👪 Design benefits that reflect what your company genuinely stands for, like Patagonia's childcare and environmental activism support. Authentic perks create deeper loyalty than trendy office amenities.

🌱 Look for "culture add" rather than just "culture fit" by identifying candidates whose unique perspectives and experiences will help your organization grow in new directions.

⏳ Make hiring decisions with a 100-year mindset, asking "How will this person contribute to our company's long-term mission?" rather than just filling immediate skill gaps.

☕The break room

What’s your take?

📚Additional reading

Human Readsources

⚖️ DEI Programs Face Scrutiny Amid Political Shifts (HR Brew) - Companies adjust DEI strategies amid political and legal pressures.

📉 US Hiring Slows Amid Economic Uncertainty (HR Brew) - Employers reduce hiring plans amid economic uncertainty and trade concerns.

🎭 Gen Z's "Task Masking" Challenges Return-to-Office Mandates (HR Grapevine) - Gen Z workers simulate productivity through "task masking" amid office mandates.

That’s it for today.

Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition sparked some new ideas for your workplace! 🧠

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