Sometimes things just don’t work out, and when that happens Riot offers Queue Dodge.
There are times when, in spite of a rigorous testing and interview process, a new hire just doesn’t work out. Often it’s obvious in the first 60 days whether or not this is so, and League of Legends maker Riot Games has a new scheme in place for when that happens. It’s called Queue Dodge, and it’s pretty simple: you can claim 10% of your annual salary, up to a max of $25,000, and you quit. Hasta la vista. Sayonara. Count your cash and scram.
“If someone gags on the unique flavor of our culture,” says Riot, “They’d be doing themselves and the company a disservice to hang on just for the paycheck.” Every company has a culture of some kind – the way things are done around here – and Riot’s no exception. If you don’t like the Riot way of life, then just turning up day after day isn’t doing anyone any favors, least of all the company. Teams can fall apart if one or two people are checking out, mentally speaking; just waiting for payday and not contributing. Queue dodging weeds those people out, at a small but acceptable cost.
Hiring is a subject Riot CEO Brandon Beck takes very seriously. “Hire the right people, especially in leadership roles,” he says (at about 22.00 onward). “I cannot stress this enough. Get the right people on the bus, and you will crush.”
Queue Dodging is not an idea that’s unique to Riot – it admits it borrowed the concept from Zappos – and it isn’t company-wide just yet. Only North American hires can benefit from Queue Dodge, for now. The folks in Dublin, Hong Kong and Moscow will have to console themselves some other way.
“We don’t know yet how many people might choose to Queue Dodge,” says Riot, “But we’ll learn from this and make better hiring decisions as a result.”
Source: Riot Games
