Surviving Procter & Gamble’s Intensive Screening Process
How does a company make sure an applicant is right for the job? Applicants for
entry-level positions in brand management at household products maker Procter &
Gamble (P&G) move through an exhaustive application and screening process. Their
interviewers are part of an elite group who have been selected and trained exten-
sively via lectures, videotapes, films, practice interviews, and role plays to identify
applicants who will successfully fit in at P&G. Applicants are interviewed in depth for
such qualities as their ability to “turn out high volumes of excellent work,” “identify
and understand problems,” and “reach thoroughly substantiated and well-reasoned
conclusions that lead to action.” P&G values rationality and seeks applicants who
demonstrate that quality. University and college applicants have two interviews and
write a general-knowledge test on campus before being flown back to head office
for three more one-on-one interviews and a group interview at lunch. Each encounter
seeks corroborating evidence of the traits that the firm believes correlate highly with
“what counts” for success at P&G.^25Top Management
The actions of top management also have a major impact on the organization’s cul-
ture.^26 Through what they say and how they behave, senior executives establish norms
that filter down through the organization. These norms establish whether risk-taking is
desirable; how much freedom managers should give their employees; what is appro-
priate dress; what actions will pay off in terms of pay raises, promotions, and other
rewards; and the like.
As we noted earlier, managers at the Royal Canadian Mint didn’t seem to value cel-
ebrating employees’ positive actions before David Dingwall took over. The manager of
Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire discovered how important changing the culture of the
organization was to improve its performance, as OB in the Workplaceshows.
Chapter 10 Organizational Culture and Change 339At Pret A Manger, a British sand-
wich shop chain, job applicants
spend a trial day working at a
shop, after which the shop’s team
of employees decide whether the
applicants would make good
additions to the staff.OB IN THE WORKPLACE