Details On The No Asshole Rule At Robert W. Baird: #39 on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies To Work” List

I wrote a few weeks back about Robert W. Baird, a financial services firm with headquarters in Milwaukee, which had just earned #39 on Fortune’s 2008 list of the best places to work.  Fortune’s brief explanation of why they are on the list emphasized Baird’s no asshole rule. So I added them to my honor roll.

In my post, I asked if anyone knew more about the company. I was delighted to get the note below from Leslie Dixon, Baird Chief Human Resources Officer (That is her picture):

Professor Sutton,

I noticed your recent blog posting about the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies To Work For” and your reference to Baird and our No-Asshole Rule. You mentioned you were interested in learning more about Baird, so I’m following up to provide some detail.

Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has more than 2,300 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird oversees and manages client assets of $77 billion. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird is one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2008 -- its fifth consecutive year on the list.  For additional information, please click here.

I also thought the following section from our FORTUNE submission would be of interest. When asked about our hiring process, we included the following section as part of our response:

Because the Baird culture plays a key role in the success of our firm, every member of management at Baird understands that every new hire must be thoroughly evaluated for not only the right knowledge, experience and education, but also the right fit for the values that make Baird such a special place. As the Baird culture statements detail, we seek individuals who value honesty, teamwork, quality work and who genuinely care about others. This strategy is often referenced by Chairman, President & CEO Paul Purcell when he meets all new associates as part of our New Associate Onboarding Experience. Paul’s presentation and his openness and willingness to answer any questions are often cited as highlights by new associates in their evaluations of our welcoming process. To add emphasis to how committed all managers are to having a respectful, fair work environment, Paul uses a very down-to-earth way of making his point when he tells new associates: “We have a ‘no asshole rule’ here.” While the earthy approach is out of character for Paul, it is a statement that clearly makes an impression and leaves no doubt that everyone is expected to be respectful of everyone he or she works with. New associates often comment on the “rule” and the fact that it’s supported by the way they are treated long after the interview process.

Paul is very passionate about Baird’s No-Asshole Rule and was thrilled that FORTUNE featured it in our “100 Best” coverage. I’m sure he’d be happy to talk with you about the rule’s importance to Baird and our success. If you are interested in talking to him or sitting down with him to learn more, please let me know.

I am most impressed by how seriously they take the rule, and more important than the rule alone, the reason Baird is a great place to work is that it reflects a broader set of values and practices about treating people well. I am looking forward to learning more about Baird later in the week, when I have a phone conversation scheduled with CEO Paul Purcell.