The companies that stood out to me the most from the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list are Cisco, American Express, and Veteran’s United Home Loans. First, the employees at Cisco say “I am given complete autonomy to do what’s best and if I need help, I have a strong support system. I love working for Cisco and hope to continue for a very long time. I also love the diversity in the executive leadership, which is unique.” It seems that at Cisco human Resources is doing a great job in managing diversity and making sure that people know that they matter. Additionally, they are allowing their employees to do what they do best. This highlights one of the key aspects of First, Break All The Rules and the Gallup question “At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?”
“I am given complete autonomy to do what’s best and if I need help, I have a strong support system. I love working for Cisco and hope to continue for a very long time. I also love the diversity in the executive leadership, which is unique.”
At American Express employees say “Incredible work life balance and respect for family. Birthing parents get 7 months leave; non-birthing 5. New mothers are empowered to put their families first.” Here employees cherish the work-life balance provided which makes them feel valued in their workplace and helps promote a positive organizational culture.
Lastly, at Veteran’s United Home Loans employees said “We are given a great deal of freedom to work and enjoy time with others. We are trusted and treated as adults. This freedom leads to a better work ethic.” Employees here are empowered and have a leadership team that doesn’t micromanage them.
Some of the functional Human Resources practices that these companies use are compensation and rewards to help motivate, reward, and retain employees. They also have good managers which result in a productive work environment.
The kind of manager I’d like to be is a fair one who listens to her employees, motivates them, and helps them succeed. The aspects of a manager that I feel are the most challenging are trying to please every employee when they request changes to policies or processes. A lot of times these things are beyond a manager’s control and can take a long time to implement these changes. This can frustrate employees and make them feel that their manager doesn’t care or isn’t doing anything about their concerns. Therefore, communication is another key aspect of being a good manager.
References
- Great Place to Work. Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/100-best/2020
- Buckingham, M. & Coffman C. First Break All The Rules, What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently. 1999.
