Would You Leave Your Family Vacation At A Disney Park For Work? CEO Uses That Question For Job Interviews

Going on a vacation with family means that you shut off the outside world, forget about work, and just enjoy yourself for a week or two, and Disneyland is one of the many destinations visited by people every year. While many are able to shut down work for a week, the CEO of a software firm is actually asking prospective employees if they would leave their family vacation at Disneyland if work needed them. Believe it or not, he wants them to say “yes.”

Don Mal is the CEO of a software company called Vena Solutions, and he recently spoke with the New York Times about a number of topics, including how he has become so successful. Mal spoke of his mother and father, what he was like as a kid, and how his parents actually influenced the way he displays leadership to employees.

Having a successful business means having a great work ethic and that is what Mal wants from the employees he hires to work for his company. In order to find those people, he has to ask the strongest questions during the hiring process, and one of them has to do with going on a Disneyland vacation.

Mal spoke of the leadership lessons he is teaching his current teams, and he was then asked about his hiring process. He wants to make sure he hires people who are quick learners and those willing to listen to others, but he also wants employees who are willing to sacrifice, and that is tested in interviews.

“To understand their work ethic, I do ask this question: Would you be willing to leave your family at Disneyland to do something that was really important for the company?”

It may sound like a rather brash question and one that is a bit above the spectrum, but that kind of sacrifice is what he looks for in his employees. Some may think it is a joke, but Mal said that “some people have said no, and I haven’t hired them.”

That kind of sacrifice for work is exactly what he did one time as he left his wife and kids at Disneyland during one of their vacations to “close the biggest deal of our company’s history.” Mal did say he only left for two days and not the “whole vacation,” but asking that question of prospective employees helps him determine their work ethic and loyalty.

So, if you’re looking to get a great job and succeed in life, you have to ask yourself, “Are you willing to leave Disneyland for work?”

Going to Disneyland or any of the Disney Parks is a big deal for many people, and that sort of vacation may be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. Don Mal understands the importance of spending time with family, but he also knows what it takes to be successful and he’s looking for that in his employees. If anyone is ever thinking of getting a job with Vena Solutions, you’d better be prepared to break free of Mickey Mouse and his friends if you want to get hired.

[Featured Image by Danny Cox]