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Work at W.L. Gore
When you hear the term Gore Tex, the first words that most likely come to mind are snow, jackets, fleeces and warmth. After reading this post, the first words that should come to your mind are, “How can I get a job there?”
You heard me right, W.L. Gore. The company behind the famous weather-resistant fabric, Gore Tex, has embraced one of the most cutting-edge workplace cultures for over 50 years.
Why is W.L. Gore so great? First off, there are no job titles. All of Gore’s employees are called, “associates,” and bosses are referred to as “sponsors,” whose main role is to help others find their best positions in the company.
Secondly, there is no such thing as passing an idea up the proverbial ladder for approval. Bureaucracy is a waste of time, and Gore recognizes that. If an employee has a new product idea, which Gore highly encourages, they simply seek out other “associates,” and either get to work or scrap the idea.
The only way to become a manager at Gore is to find people who want to work for you and get their support. Doesn’t that sound refreshing? It’s like natural selection for the right reasons. Rather than, “Who do you know and how many degrees you hold?” it’s “Who wants to work for you and why?”
According to a 2006 workforce management article by Patrick Kiger, because of their unorthodox “flat” organization, Gore has trouble recruiting the right talent to come work for them. The company receives 38,000 applications annually and hires a mere fraction.
To me, this is mind blowing. Maybe it’s because of Gore’s rural Delaware locale or maybe it’s because they aren’t out actively recruiting young people, but I can’t think of many places I would rather go to work.
Headquarters are located in Newark, DE, a relatively small, but beautiful college town. Being 45 minutes south of Philadelphia and an hour and a half from the beaches and casinos of Atlantic City means that they’ll always be plenty of entertainment.
If Gore isn’t going to come to campus career fairs, then Employee Evolution will just have to bring them to you. Check out their website, apply for a job, go tour the plants and see if they really are as cool as Malcolm Gladwell describes in one of my all time favorite books, The Tipping Point.
W.L. Gore had it right 50 years ago and they still have it right today. Hopefully more startups will take note and launch with a “flat” structure because, as established hierarchical companies are finding, shifting from the norm is not an easy thing to do.
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