Insiders report that "the people at Home Depot are one of its most prized possessions." and, "The company is careful to hire only top-quality people. Any slackers or people trying to milk a free ride are weeded out pretty quickly." Says one individual, "I have worked with the company for four years and have seen a lot of people come and go, but one thing remains the same: The core group of people that are involved are terrific individuals who care about the customer and their fellow employees. I consider the people I work with to be my best friends in the world." Some other employees don't wax quite so enthusiastic, however. "My co-workers are fine. We socialize at times, but mostly we just do what we have to do to get through the day." Due to the company's rapid growth during the '90s, many employees have come on board at all levels of the corporation, causing some learning-curve difficulties. As one contact says, "Upper management is solid, but once you start going further down the line to lower management or store management, there are some people who have been hired during the boom that seem a bit unqualified or confused as to the direction of the company."