Week 1 Blog Assignment- Team 5

Hey everyone, I am Ben O. This is my blog for week one based on the three companies I chose: Cisco, American Express, and NVIDIA. Hope you enjoy!

The HR practices at Cisco, American Express, and NVIDIA show how effective strategies boost both employee satisfaction and overall company success. According to Great Place to Work, employees at these companies consistently cite inclusion, innovation, and growth opportunities as major reasons why they enjoy their work environment. These elements reflect some HR concepts we learned in class, such as strategic HR management, managing diversity, and performance management.

• Cisco’s emphasis on collaboration and inclusion is a great example of strategic workforce planning and diversity management in action. I believe that their HR practices align employee development with technological growth, creating an environment that encourages innovation. This highlights the importance of diversity management, where inclusive environments reduce conflict and enhance engagement.

• American Express excels in employee development by investing in continuous learning and career growth, aligning with effective performance management to keep employees motivated and goal-focused.

• NVIDIA similarly, is known for creating a culture of innovation by ensuring their HR strategies align closely with the company’s technological vision. This illustrates how strategic HR management can help companies maintain a competitive edge by investing in their talent.

As a future manager, I aim to promote transparency, ethical leadership, and growth opportunities. As a Hispanic, managing diversity and creating an inclusive, supportive environment is important to me, ensuring employees feel valued. However, I do recognize that balancing organizational goals with employee well-being will likely be one of the most challenging aspects of being a manager. For instance, HR managers must often navigate ethical dilemmas, such as employee privacy issues and monitoring. Balancing these concerns while promoting a positive work environment will require careful thought and planning but I will work to create a great work environment with employees and managers.

Companies like Cisco, American Express, and NVIDIA demonstrate how strategic HR practices can lead to positive work environments. As I develop my management style, I plan on using these examples and the HR lessons from class to guide my approach.

Thanks for reading!