{"id":18231,"date":"2013-04-07T16:12:38","date_gmt":"2013-04-07T23:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/?p=18231"},"modified":"2017-10-17T09:59:07","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T16:59:07","slug":"how-mozilla-hires-for-principle-over-profit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/how-mozilla-hires-for-principle-over-profit\/","title":{"rendered":"How Mozilla Hires for Principle Over Profit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018We hire the best.’ \u00a0\u2018We recruit the best.’ \u00a0\u2018Only the best candidates make it through the interview process here.’ \u00a0These claims and a plethora of similar sentiments have been expressed as long as companies have been recruiting. \u00a0Have you ever heard anyone say, \u201cWe settle for average people\u201d? \u00a0The reality, however, is that the vast majority of employees at companies are actually by definition, average. \u00a0This presents many companies with a dilemma when hiring: How do you increase the overall quality of your hires<\/a>? \u00a0There are many factors that weigh in on this: the type of business the company is in, the \u201cbrand\u201d the company has within the candidate population and the companies recruitment strategy are some of the key factors many point to. However, something all too commonly overlooked is the mission behind the company<\/a>, the overarching principles that guides its path.<\/p>\n

This is where Mozilla excels.\u00a0 We hire the best people because, quite frankly, we have a better mission than the companies we compete with for talent<\/a>.\u00a0 We take on some glitzy, fun, amazing companies doing great things, but each and every one are driven by the same goal, revenue<\/em>.\u00a0 The vast majority of companies are trying to be the most profitable out there.\u00a0 Of course this is a fantastic, and many would argue, noble pursuit. Mozilla just happens to have a more noble pursuit.\u00a0 Our mission is to promote openness, innovation & opportunity on the web<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0 We believe the internet is the most powerful tool mankind has ever created.\u00a0 We believe that the internet should always be open and available to everyone and everyone should be able to contribute to making it better.<\/p>\n

\"Different<\/p>\n

Our mission frees us as an organization to focus wholly and completely on making the best products possible for users.\u00a0 I began to truly appreciate the extent to which this is true when I sat in various planning meetings around our latest major initiative, Firefox OS, a transformative new operating system developed by Mozilla specifically for use in mobile devices.\u00a0 I realized our discussions were always centered on how to create the best product for our current and future users.\u00a0 With the world having shifted away from desktops and laptops to mobile devices, certain major players in the mobile space are starting to control the way users interact with the web.\u00a0 The freedoms that are available on Firefox for desktop are not available with the other major mobile browsers.\u00a0 This coupled with the fact that the vast majority of the next 2 billion internet users will only access the internet through mobile devices mean that, in order to ensure the web stays open, we had to create a product for those users.\u00a0 These meetings centered on one thing, how to ensure Firefox OS will best serve all current and future users of the web.\u00a0 Never was the focus on how to generate profit.<\/p>\n

Focusing on what is best for users is what makes recruiting at Mozilla so much fun.\u00a0 Our VP of Firefox Engineering,\u00a0Johnathan Nightingale<\/a>, points out:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cTruly excellent people want more than a decent salary or a cool title. They want to change the world.\u00a0 And they want to work with other excellent people changing the world.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We are full of exceptional people who want to change the world.\u00a0 This gives us a gravity that pulls and attracts individuals who share the same principles.\u00a0 When we speak with candidates it becomes clear very quickly whether someone will fit in with our culture.\u00a0 Our passion, our level of engagement, our willingness to do work, even when its \u2018not our job,’ our desire, as individuals and as an organization to stand up to bullies will either completely \u201cclose\u201d a candidate or scare them away.\u00a0 Very rarely do we have to get too deeply involved in a complicated sell at the offer stage.\u00a0 We pay very well and offer world class perks and benefits<\/a>.\u00a0 Because of this, if we get to offer stage with a candidate, they understand all the passions, driving forces and expectations of everyone who is contributing to our mission.\u00a0 They are either all in or they have been completely overwhelmed early on and don\u2019t make it that far.<\/p>\n

I have been involved with a huge array of companies large and small, both profitable and striving for profitability, and I can say that looking back through my new perspective, the push for profitability can cloud your vision<\/em>. \u00a0Being driven by principles like we are at Mozilla allows us to be very particular in how we recruit.\u00a0 Being driven by principles allows us to be bold and creative.\u00a0 Being driven by principles allows us to be free to try and fail<\/a> and try again.<\/p>\n

Of course, we are in a unique place.\u00a0 In the current business environment, I don\u2019t expect to see many companies come along with a mission similar to ours anytime soon. \u00a0Our principles are what attract rock-stars to us and our principles are what keep them here. \u00a0We are driven by our mission. \u00a0That drive ensures that we only bring on those who desire, not to build the most profitable company as possible, but to make the world better through the web.\u00a0 That is how we hire on principle over profit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"MathewMathew Caldwell<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Mozilla<\/a>. He\u00a0has 17 years providing executive search and recruitment leadership solutions both in-house and as a consultant with companies spanning as small as five to multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporations. \u00a0Mathew’s passion is creating solutions that align the right people with the right roles to ensure business success.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Imagine a world where hiring is easy. SmartRecruiters’<\/a> Mission: Zero Unemployment<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018We hire the best.’ \u00a0\u2018We recruit the best.’ \u00a0\u2018Only the best candidates make it through the interview process here.’ \u00a0These claims and a plethora of similar sentiments have been expressed as long as companies have been recruiting. \u00a0Have you ever heard anyone say, \u201cWe settle for average people\u201d? \u00a0The reality, however, is that the vast […]","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":18236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":""},"categories":[8,838],"tags":[595,196],"series":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Work-at-Mozilla.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Podcast-icon.jpg","download_link":false,"player_link":false,"audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/hiring-success-podcast\/id1472174987","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9oaXJpbmdzdWNjZXNzcG9kY2FzdC5jYXN0b3MuY29tL2hpcmluZy1zdWNjZXNzLXBvZGNhc3Q","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"soundcloud":{"key":"soundcloud","url":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/smartrecruiters\/sets\/hiring-success-podcast-1","label":"SoundCloud","class":"soundcloud","icon":"soundcloud.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/3bM8YzLjM2G9qJXLBBySaB","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/feed\/podcast","embedCode":"

How Mozilla Hires for Principle Over Profit<\/a><\/blockquote>