Netflix Culture

Values are what we Value

At Netflix, our values are not just words on a wall; they are the core of our daily operations and decision-making processes. We believe that actual company values are shown by who gets rewarded, promoted, or let go.

We particularly value nine key behaviors and skills:

  • Judgment
  • Communication
  • Impact
  • Curiosity
  • Innovation
  • Courage
  • Passion
  • Honesty
  • Selflessness

In practice, this means we actively seek out and nurture these qualities in our employees. During hiring, performance reviews, and promotion considerations, we assess how well individuals embody these values. We encourage open discussions about these values and how they manifest in our work.

High Performance

Our commitment to high performance is unwavering. We believe that in creative and inventive work, the best performers are not just marginally better, but exponentially more impactful than average ones.

To maintain our high-performance standard, we implement several key practices:

  • The "Keeper Test": Managers regularly ask themselves, "If this person were to quit, how hard would I fight to keep them?" This ensures we continually evaluate and maintain our talent density.
  • Generous severance: We offer generous severance packages to adequate performers, creating opportunities to find star players for those roles.
  • Professional sports team mentality: We view ourselves as a professional sports team, not a family. This means we're always striving for excellence and are willing to make tough decisions to maintain our high standards.
  • Collaborative excellence: We foster a culture where teammates help each other excel, avoiding internal competition that could hinder overall performance.
  • No "brilliant jerks": We don't tolerate "brilliant jerks" because we believe the cost to effective teamwork is too high.

By maintaining these high standards and practices, we ensure that Netflix continues to be a hub for top talent and innovation in the entertainment industry.

Freedom & Responsibility

We give our employees an unusual amount of freedom, coupled with the expectation of great responsibility. This approach empowers our team to make impactful decisions and fosters innovation.

At Netflix, we believe that freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. By trusting our employees to act in the company's best interests, we create an environment that encourages creativity, efficiency, and excellence.

  • No vacation policy: We don't have a formal vacation policy. Instead, we trust our employees to take time off when they need it, as long as it's in Netflix's best interest.
  • Focus on results: We emphasize accomplishments and outcomes rather than hours worked or processes followed. This allows for flexibility and innovation in how work gets done.
  • Wise decision-making: We expect our employees to make wise decisions despite ambiguity. This empowers them to take calculated risks and drive the company forward.

By embracing freedom and responsibility, we create a culture where talented individuals can thrive, make significant contributions, and help Netflix maintain its position as a leader in the entertainment industry.

Context, not Control

Instead of top-down decision-making and excessive rules, we provide employees with the context they need to make good decisions. This approach fosters autonomy and innovation throughout the organization.

At Netflix, we believe that providing context is more effective than imposing control. This allows our employees to make informed decisions aligned with our company goals.

  • Clear communication: We clearly communicate company strategy, objectives, and priorities to all employees.
  • Transparency: We ensure transparency around decision-making processes throughout the organization.
  • Continuous learning: We invest in new employee onboarding and frequent communication of company strategies and results.

By providing context rather than imposing control, we empower our employees to make decisions that align with our company's goals and values, fostering a culture of trust and innovation.

Highly Aligned, Loosely Coupled

We aim to be a fast, flexible, and innovative organization by being highly aligned on goals and strategy across the company, while remaining loosely coupled in execution.

This approach allows us to maintain agility and efficiency as we scale, enabling rapid decision-making and execution.

  • Alignment on goals: We ensure that all teams are aligned on our overall strategy and objectives.
  • Loose coupling: We minimize cross-functional meetings and approvals, trusting teams to execute on tactics without excessive oversight.
  • Empowered teams: We trust our teams to make decisions and execute independently, fostering innovation and rapid progress.

This balance of alignment and autonomy allows Netflix to maintain its agility and innovative spirit even as the company grows, enabling us to adapt quickly to new challenges and opportunities in the fast-paced entertainment industry.

Pay Top of Market

To attract and retain the best talent, we believe in compensating our employees at the top of their personal market. This approach ensures we have the best people working for us and aligns with our high-performance culture.

Our compensation philosophy is designed to be straightforward and effective, focusing on paying top dollar for top talent.

  • Top personal market rate: We compensate employees at the top of their personal market, ensuring they're paid what they're worth.
  • Regular market value reassessment: We regularly reassess the market value for each employee to ensure our compensation remains competitive.
  • No vesting or deferred compensation: We don't use vesting or deferred compensation to retain people, focusing instead on providing a great workplace and challenging work.

By paying top of market, we attract and retain the best talent, which in turn helps us maintain our competitive edge and continue to innovate in the fast-paced entertainment industry.

Promotions & Development

We foster growth and development by promoting based on ability, not tenure, and by surrounding our employees with talented colleagues and challenging work.

At Netflix, we believe in creating an environment where exceptional performers can thrive and grow their careers.

  • Merit-based promotions: We promote based on ability, not tenure, when a role is big enough and the person is an extraordinary performer and culture fit.
  • Challenging environment: We surround employees with talented colleagues and challenging work to foster growth and development.
  • Continuous improvement: We encourage self-improvement and honest feedback among team members to drive personal and professional growth.

By focusing on merit-based promotions and creating a challenging, growth-oriented environment, we ensure that our employees have ample opportunities to develop their skills and advance their careers at Netflix.