Happiness at work at Perrigo

Health care company Perrigo is looking for more employees and this is how they try to attract them:

Where many companies present themselves seriously and factually, Perrigo present themselves as a fun, lively, social place.

I don’t know about you – but it kinda makes me want to work there :o)

Here are the top three four reasons why Perrigo’s “casting call” is a great way to attract great people.

1: It speaks to your emotions
Disney World does the same thing. I’ve seen the video they use to present themselves to potential new employees and it contained exactly NO facts. Instead it was all about all the cool stuff Disney does – from Monday Night Football to Pirates of the Caribbean to their Cruises.

I saw this video with a group of highly paid consultants and leaders as part of a seminar at Disney University and after that 6-minute presentation, several of the group declared themselves ready to quit their careers and go work for Disney World :o)

That is the power of speaking to people’s emotions!

Where most companies try to speak to your logical, rational side, Perrigo’s video speaks directly to your emotions, which is more effective. Many studies in decision-making show that we make our decisions with our emotions and only then do we find the rational arguments to support our emotions.

2: It’s fun
Why does recruiting always have to be such a deadly serious process? In fact, studies show that we make better decisions when we’re happy and relaxed. Let’s make it fun!

3: This video will instantly repel a ton of potential hires
While many people will be attracted to Perrigo, many others will see this video and think “I will never work for a company that silly.” And that’s a great thing because those people would obviously not fit in at an organization that is happy and fun-loving. It’s much easier to let these people self-select early in the process than to have to read their applications and interview them (and possibly even hire them) only to find later that they’re a bad fit for the company culture.

4: Employees were involved in making it (Update)
After I posted this, it struck me that this is especially cool because current employees could get in on the fun of making the video.

Your take

What’s your take on this? Does this video make you want to work for Perrigo or run away screaming? Have you seen other companies present themselves in fun, untraditional ways? Write a comment, I’d love to hear your take.

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Comments

8 responses to “Happiness at work at Perrigo”

  1. Jim Shields Avatar

    This is great. It sings to every one of our values as a team here at T&S. We’ve tried humour to get a recruitment idea across, which worked really well and went viral to a large extent. It also won an award. See what you think.
    http://www.twistandshout.co.uk/portfolio/film/mcafee-recruitment
    The only thing that spoils it is the CEO needing to be involved, which I think screams politics.
    Love your happiness blog!
    Jim

  2. nic @ nipitinthebud Avatar

    that’s ace. More employers should be interested in the interests/passions/quirks that make a person who they are. People work for people after all and it’s important to feel you’re hired for more than your muscle and mind.

  3. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    I am so glad I saw this post today. My HR team just asked for my help to create a video for new employee orientation. They were talking about the usual blather — company history, locations, products and services, yada, yada, yada. Not sure this is exactly the way I would go, but you captured my interest in going for emotions not facts. I find it very interesting in that a health care company like this — FDA regulated — took this approach. I’d sign up to work there just to work with the exec who approved it.

  4. Lynn Ferguson Avatar

    I love the video, and I think the most critical point is that people will self select, we all recognize that work does need to produce results and that can be covered off by various elements of the recruitment process to ensure there is a match between the skills the individual is bringing and the role being applied for but this video addresses what many times people can not get a good feel for in the interview process, the type of corporate culture they can expect.

    thanks
    Lynn

  5. Charles Avatar

    The video is hilarious…too funny. I don’t know i would have to disagree with the statement that the video will “repel a ton of potential hires” Let’s face it people tend to make emotional decisions over logical ones. As for Disney. they aren’t raking in so much cash because appealing to emotions doesn’t work. On the contrary it does work and Disney is proving it.

  6. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    I’d like to know more about the context of where this fitted into an overall process?

    It’s fun, and it certainly wouldn’t put me off working for them, but at the same time, just because they’re able to put together a quirky video, it doesn’t mean that reality would live up to expectations.

    My concern otherwise would be that it’s actually their ad agency that would be fun to work for.

  7. N. Marion Avatar
    N. Marion

    I work at Perrigo, and it is a great place to work. And those are my nutty and very lovable coworkers.

    :-)

  8. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    I work at Perrigo as a specialist. I am myself, and i am a bit weird compared to the average joe. None the less i am accepted. Enough said.

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