It is not uncommon that people who interview with us ask what a “normal” day is like here. What normally happens? When do people normally get here? What do you normally discuss in your staff meetings?

It’s a fair enough question. People are only searching for some clues as to what they might be walking into. They are simply attempting to level‑set expectation. I’m guilty of asking the same thing on occasion. I’ve asked my ex-electrician if all the lights in the house normally work from one switch after he finishes a project. When I took my car to Rudy’s Engine Repair and Burrito Emporium I asked the mechanic/chef if the wipers should normally turn on every time I make a right turn. After all, inquiring minds want to know.

But the reality here at Zoro Tools is that “normal” just might surprise you...

• One of our customers called customer service to ask if the red plastic bins we sell would support the weight of a chicken.
  If so, he would need 50. Another customer asked us if our fireman’s hose would be able to reach the pesky kid next door
  with the super‑soaker. We get this stuff all the time. We think these are normal questions.
• We share all key business data with all the staff—gross sales, call abandon rates, cost per acquisition, earnings, number
  of web visits and more. It’s not normal for companies to share all that information, but we think it should be.
• New employees begin with at least 18 days PTO and benefits begin on your first day with us. On the list of benefits are
  options such as pet insurance and triple matching charitable contributions—among many, many others. We think this
  should be normal.
• Our weekly staff meetings aren’t led by the CEO or department heads. They are led by a different staff member each week.
  It’s normal for us to let the inmates lead the asylum.
• Every staff member here is provided a double 20" monitor configuration, unless you want a 27" iMac—we’re fine either way. That’s our idea of a normal investment in staff.
• We explore lots of new marketing and business ideas. Many fail. No one is reprimanded. Rather we hold them as things we now know don’t work well for our business. Freedom to test and fail is not just normal at Zoro Tools—it’s cultural.

So you see, “normal” to us is just a little bit different. We like it that way. If you want to experience our “normal”, contact or forward your resume to bruce.simmons@zorotools.com.