For my review I chose three fascinating companies, Delta Airlines, Power Home Remodeling, and Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Though these companies are all large, many of the employees describe their various company cultures as very caring and family-like. Many reported a similar view that “when you join the company, you are made to feel welcome” and that they “want to work here for a long time.” The ability for a big company to feel small is just one of the “new HR” strategies described by Breitfelder and Dowling that these companies are using in their innovative talent management systems (Breitfelder & Dowling, 2008, p. 42). When employees feel like they are part of a team, connected to their workplace and coworkers, they are far more likely to stay longer and report greater job fulfillment. At a base level we know from our readings that the “Base Camp” level of questions cover the essentials of personal work expectations and the ability to have the materials and equipment to do the job right (Buckingham & Coffman, 2016). As a manager in any large corporation, having clearly defined roles for employees is most likely already established. The greater task here I believe is knowing how to encourage individual employees about the unique role and value that they bring to the organization. For employees to feel like they belong, there must be a sense that the work they do matters, and that they as individuals are recognized for that work. While there are plenty of other aspects of management, I think I want to be a manager that clearly communicates employee expectations, gives them the basic tools they feel they need to succeed, and finally, can encourage them of the unique value they bring to the table. As I can encourage people under me to be confident in who they are and what they can achieve, it begins to lay a foundation that future development can be built from.
