The companies I have selected to investigate for their HR practices are Cisco, Ultimate Software, and Workday [1]. When looking at Cisco, there is a wide range of answers for why it is such a good place to work. This company appears to have a great work-life balance, allowing employees to take time off as needed without looking down on it. Along with this, the company is diverse in its employee demographic and the type of tasks they have employees doing. They give adequate responsibilities to members of their team, allowing them to grow in their knowledge and careers. All of this points to the topic of “Why HR Matters” from the first video in this week’s learning material. Cisco makes sure that employees feel as if they matter and that they aren’t just numbers in the company machine. Similarly, Ultimate Software does an amazing job of creating an environment where the employees feel as if they matter. For Ultimate Software, one of the ways they do this is through their exemplary benefits that out-compete many other companies. For example, an article by UKG explains that Ultimate offers 100% company-paid healthcare premiums for employees but also their families. Additionally, Ultimate does a 45% dollar-for-dollar match on all 401k contributions, with no limit [2]. Lastly, Workday stands out as a company that pays well, appreciates a work-life balance, and encourages employees to learn and grow in their skills. Workday utilizes the training practice of HR as described in Lecture 4 of the Week 1 Learning Material.
As a manager, I would like to ensure that continual progress is being made with employees in their career development. This would look like training and personal goals being set, with open-ended discussions for check-ups on these goals. I would want employees to feel like they really matter and are part of a family, rather than a machine. I think it could be very difficult to manage time (or have enough time) to effectively engage in the conversations needed to ensure employees are progressing in their careers.
[1] “Fortune 100 best companies to work for® 2020,” Great Place To Work®, https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/100-best/2020 (accessed Jan. 6, 2025).
[2] Written By UKG, “Ultimate software ranked #2 on Fortune’s best workplaces for women 2020 list,” UKG, https://www.ukg.com/about-us/newsroom/ultimate-software-ranked-2-fortunes-best-workplaces-women-2020-list (accessed Jan. 6, 2025).
