What It Means When Whole Foods Employees Are 'Voted In'

Different companies have unique models of hiring and working with new people within their businesses. For instance, some places put their new hires through several rounds of interviews, while others prefer to give new employees a trial period to see if it's a good fit. There have been a few articles and comments made about Whole Foods' new hire structure, with words like "voted in" being tossed around. It's giving us major "Survivor" vibes, but what does it really mean to be voted in or voted out of the Whole Foods company as an employee? 

Reddit users, as well as former and current employees, tell us what it really means to be voted in at the grocery store. According to the Washington Post, "Employees say the vast majority of new hires are approved by their teams." It seems like a good way to make sure new employees mold well with their current staff. 

New employees at Whole Foods are reportedly "voted in" after their first 90 days at the company, according to the Washington Post. "A two-thirds majority is required to keep an employee on board," said Mirian Alvarenga, a graphic artist at Whole Foods. "It's almost always positive ... It's just a matter of the team agreeing with what the manager has already decided." So, maybe it's not as "Survivor" like as we envisioned, but can you be voted off with this system? 

Reddit users have opposing statements as to whether or not you can. One writes, "I worked for Wfm for four years and I fired a new guy on probation after he left his shift early." While another user says, "I work at Whole Foods and have never seen anyone fired for their 90 probationary period. Team Members are given many chances to redeem themselves during this time." It seems a little fuzzy as to whether or not you can truly "vote" someone off the team, but voting someone in does seem to be a tactic that is used to ensure the employees all agree that a new hire is a good addition to the team.