Red Bull has strived to set the benchmark ever since it has entered F1 and with the way things are currently going at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, it is safe to say they are on the right track.
Sponsored by Austrian Energy Drink giants, Red Bull, the F1 team aspires for elite success, but this winning mentality is down to stringent hiring policies, as explained by team principal Christian Horner.
The Red Bull boss spoke on an episode of Secrets of Success: Sky Sports F1 Podcast, where he discussed Red Bull’s non-vanilla search when it comes to assessing candidates.
“Everybody can’t be vanilla. You need characters, you need people that are going to push the boundaries. But you also need them to play team,” Horner said.
He explained how it is imperative for the team to strive to create an environment of winners. Skill set alone isn’t enough to secure a role at the team as the management is intent on finding people who push the boundaries.
However, the most critical aspect, as per Horner is the individual’s ability to act as a team player.
In conversation with host Nasser Hussain, Horner spoke in detail about how his managerial style is perhaps different to what one would expect from a company as big and established as Red Bull.
The fact that his professional background is different from the employees who have secured specialised positions, Horner stressed that it is not his job to educate them about how to complete a process.
Rather, his productivity is dependent on his micromanagement skills.
He further discusses the importance of empowering his employees by giving them the tenets of accountability and responsibility. While their performances will be judged against a meter, they have a free hand in achieving this and therefore great responsibility.
In effect, this sees every individual striving to achieve and outdo personal targets that are set in front of them and creates a cohesive work environment.