If a new hire isn't satisfied with their experience at Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer, after their first month, the company will pay them $3,000 to quit. It sounds crazy at first, but the "quitting bonus" helps Zappos build a loyal team, increase retention, and protect their brand. The Zappos brand revolves around providing the very best customer service and customer experience possible, and they believe it all starts with company culture. According to CEO Tony Hsieh, "if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff — like great customer service, or building a great long-term brand, or passionate employees and customers — will happen naturally on its own." By allowing misfits to self-select out early, Zappos is able to attract and retain the employees who will ultimately be the best fit.
Read MoreOp-ed: Why Zappos got it right about holocracy
Throwing money at a problem used to be the go-to solution, but now it's the companies with the most innovative and passionate teams who rise to the top. Talent is the critical asset in today's economy, so it's no surprise that organizations are going to new and extreme lengths to attract and retain the best. However, what's novel and effective today, might not be tomorrow. As the competition for talent intensifies, we're betting hiring strategies will as well.
Commentary by Sarah Nahm, the CEO of Lever, which makes modern software for helping companies recruit and grow their teams. Before Lever, Sarah worked in product at Google and studied design and engineering at Stanford University. Follow her on Twitter @srhnhm.
Correction:
David Cancel is the former chief product officer at HubSpot.