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When a new position opens up at Zappos, Hsieh begins the interview process. But this is no ordinary interview process. Zappos may sell apparel and accessories, but hiring people who know which brands are making the latest trends is of no consequences for Hsieh. "We interview people for culture fit," he says. "We want people who are passionate about what Zappos is about - service. I don't care if they're passionate about shoes."

For Hsieh, the hiring process is one of the most important events in the life of his company. "They need the relevant skill set and experience and so on," he says. "But far more important is, are they going to be good for the culture? Is this someone we would choose to have dinner or drinks with, even if they weren't working for Zappos?"

Hsieh uses something called "the pipeline," which is his vision for how he wants to grow as a company. When a new potential employee is being vetted, Hsieh wants to see whether or not they will fit into that pipeline.

"Today, we actually do two separate sets of interviews," says Hsieh. "The hiring manager and his or her team will interview for the standard fit within the team, relevant experience, technical ability and so on. But then our H.R. department does a separate set of interviews purely for culture fit. They actually have questions for each and every one of the core values."

One of Zappos' core values is, "Create fun and little weirdness." So, during an interview, each candidate gets asked, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?"

"If you're a 1, you're probably a little bit too strait-laced for us. If you're a 10, you might be too psychotic for us," says Hsieh. "It's not so much the number; it's more seeing how candidates react to a question. Because our whole belief is that everyone is a little weird somehow, so it's really more just a fun way of saying that we really recognize and celebrate each person's individuality, and we want their true personalities to shine in the workplace environment, whether it's with co-workers or when talking with customers."

A second question is, "If you had to name something, what would you say is the biggest misperception that people have of you?" Then Hsieh asks his follow up question, "What's the difference between misperception and perception?"

"I think it's a combination of how self-aware people are and how honest they are," he says. "I think if someone is self-aware, then they can always continue to grow. If they're not self-aware, I think it's harder for them to evolve or adapt beyond who they already are."

With all of these questions, Hsieh is really after one thing: "We're hoping five years from now the vast, vast majority of all hires will actually be entry-level, but we'll provide all the training and mentorship so that, over a five- to seven-year period, they can become a senior leader within the company. That will help protect our culture and also give all the employees a growth path professionally."

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