Netflix’s “Keeper Test”: Brutal Efficiency or Honest Reality?
This time it will be a long post, please bear with me, I am curious to see the comments.
Recently I was watching Keeper Test on Netflix.
At Netflix, they don’t sugarcoat the realities of performance management. Enter the “Keeper Test,” a cold-blooded, yet transparent litmus for leadership. The idea, popularized in Netflix’s famous culture deck, is simple but potent: ask yourself, “If X wanted to leave, would I fight to keep them?” Or, more brutally, “Knowing everything I know today, would I hire X again?” If the answer is no, it’s time to part ways — quickly and without remorse. For some, this ruthless approach may seem like corporate Darwinism; for others, it’s an honest acknowledgment of how a high-performing organization should function.
This ethos is part of Netflix’s much-lauded culture, built on candor, speed, and effectiveness. The idea is that high-performing teams are made up of high-performing individuals. If someone no longer meets the bar, keeping them out of a sense of loyalty or avoidance of confrontation does a disservice to the team. But is this a streamlined path to excellence, or does it risk reducing people to transactional units, valuable only for their most recent contributions?
The Keeper Test: A Culture Divided
The Keeper Test has drawn polarized reactions both inside and outside the company. Some hail it as a bold, refreshing departure from the politics and bureaucracy that can plague organizations, where underperformers are allowed to coast. In this view, the test embodies Netflix’s core value: honesty. It encourages managers to have candid conversations with their team members about performance, ensuring that only those who continue to deliver remain in key roles.
However, not everyone is so enthusiastic. Critics argue that this approach can foster a cutthroat environment, where employees constantly feel like they are under surveillance, unsure if their recent performance will deem them worthy of retention. The test doesn’t just measure talent or potential but asks managers to assess emotional and long-term factors. Some find the binary nature of the test — stay or go — too simplistic in its execution.
One Netflix employee, reflecting on their experience with the Keeper Test, stated, “Part of it resonated with me really well, but I wasn’t 100% sure about its execution.” This ambivalence hints at the complexity of managing people: human beings aren’t algorithms. A rigid application of the Keeper Test could risk missing the nuance and context that often accompanies an individual’s performance fluctuations.
Leadership Training: Contextualizing the Test
Interestingly, Netflix doesn’t throw its managers into the deep end. Leadership training sessions — described by some as “really great” — aim to equip leaders with the tools to navigate the delicate balance between maintaining high standards and nurturing long-term talent. For many, these sessions provide the necessary context behind the Keeper Test, clarifying its true intent.
The Keeper Test is not meant to promote a hyper-meritocratic “survival of the fittest” mentality but rather to ensure alignment between the company’s goals and its employees’ strengths. One key lesson from these training sessions is that managers should always be thinking long-term, ensuring that the test doesn’t erode morale or human decency.
A Korean Perspective: The Moon, Not the Finger
There’s an old Korean saying: “You should see the Moon, not the finger pointing at it.” It’s an apt metaphor for the Keeper Test. The goal isn’t to focus on the act of cutting someone loose — the finger — but rather on the larger picture: the Moon, which represents the overall health and success of the team. In that sense, the Keeper Test isn’t about ruthless efficiency for its own sake; it’s about ensuring that the right people are in the right roles to drive the organization forward.
In the end, Netflix’s Keeper Test remains a provocative tool, one that forces managers to make tough but necessary decisions. It reflects a high-performance culture where transparency, honesty, and pragmatism reign supreme. Whether you view it as a necessary evil or a beacon of truth, the Keeper Test is a powerful reminder that excellence doesn’t come without its costs.
