Rule #1 for Hiring At Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg’s much awaited appearance at the recent Mobile World Conference in Barcelona was as interesting as it was promised to be.

Most of the Zuckerberg’s keynote speech had him fielding questions regarding internet.org (facebook’s latest initiative to expand internet across the world), Facebook’s relationship with its telecom operators and its cost infrastructure.

As often the case, Zuckerberg answered all questions with the élan and calmness of a businessperson who has seen it all.

While the keynote panel got the attention of everyone around the world, there is one simple quote regarding Zuckerberg’s principles for hiring at Facebook that stood out.

When asked how he selects individuals to work at Facebook, he replied

“I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person. It’s a pretty good test and I think this rule has served me well”

He further elaborated,

“What it does mean, in an alternate universe, if things were different and I didn’t start the company, I would be happy to work for that person. Or if Facebook just disappeared and I had to go find something else to go do, then I’d be happy to go work for that person.”

Zuckerberg went on to explain that in order to have a successful employer-employee relationship, both should share certain common values, beliefs, and confident decision making abilities.

Hiring the right person for the job can be a challenging task for an employees, but Zuckerberg’s rule of thumb for hiring at Facebook seems to be a wise advice to follow. It is after all, better to not hire at all than to hire the wrong person.

It only requires some time in an office to realize that a sour relationship between an employer and employee will invariably result in stress and mutual anguish.

Eventually, such a relationship can affect the entire business or organization, in both financial and mental capacities.

Work in an office environment is never done in isolation. Even if you’re  working alone, the culture and synergy of the work environment will inevitable affect the affect the work of every single person at the work place.

The modern workplace face the danger of losing the basic human connection that keeps an office going.

Zuckerberg’s advice then to essentially go with your gut feeling and pick someone you can connect with the best is perhaps among the wisest hiring pieces of advice in recent times.

“I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person. It’s a pretty good test and I think this rule has served me well,” said Zuckerberg.

Kaspars.