After exploring NVIDIA, Texas Health Resources Inc., and Capital One, (three of the 2020 Fortune Best Companies to Work For) it’s clear that effective HR practices play a major role in building a strong organizational culture and employee satisfaction.

NVIDIA’s employees emphasized team, culture and leadership in the reasons why they worked there. The company has a program called Inspire 365 helps employees give back to causes that are important to them. Employees from different departments collaborate and organize internal conferences to discuss various topics.

Texas Health Resources Inc. employees mentioned care, community and team. They noted that their culture and leadership helps build trust with employees. One of their culture values is listening to their employees to help improve their work experience. They offer programs and resources that help employees maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Capital One employees mentioned benefits, culture and balance. Their core values help inspire the culture and help them make decisions. Employees are able to volunteer in outside work, for example, training service dogs for veterans. Their offices allow employees to learn, collaborate and team build.

All three companies value people, showing that a human-centered HR approach gains loyalty and engagement.  According to Garvin, some key behaviors for effective managers include empowering the team, keeping interest in team members’ well-being, and being a good communicator (2013). As a future manager, I aim to lead with empathy, transparency, and a people-first mindset. I want to create an environment where team members feel heard, valued, and motivated to grow.

One challenge I think will arise as a manager is balancing organizational goals with individual needs. Performance management and employee career development will help navigate this challenge and maintain team morale while meeting objectives.

Garvin, D. A. (2013). How Google sold its engineers on management. In Harvard business review (Vol. 91, Number 12, pp. 74–82). Harvard Business School Publ. Corp.