THE CONVERSATION
and the path of their careers . We want to help our team members and potential hires find that here at Dell .
JS : This is where empathy , purpose and culture come into sharp focus . We always make decisions that align with our culture and prioritize the health and safety of our team members . In the tech industry , where things change so rapidly , staying rooted in your why keeps you from spinning . potential . We invest in this internal movement because , as MIT reports , even lateral opportunities are 12 times more predictive of employee retention .
While some companies or industries can ’ t wait for things to “ go back to the way things were ,” that ’ s never a strategy for success . A strategy is never , “ Let ’ s go back .” It ’ s always , “ Let ’ s go forward .” Let ’ s define the future together . And I think that ’ s something that has helped us tremendously .
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VH : And I think tech companies that didn ’ t have a flexible work environment before 2020 and then tried to be more flexible than they felt comfortable with may have created roadblocks . Perhaps companies couldn ’ t provide the real flexibility and choice employees required ? Or they tried a hybrid approach , and it didn ’ t work — saying they ’ re flexible , but the reality is that employees must come back in on certain days and times ?
I don ’ t know for a fact if this is the reason this is happening in tech , but it ’ s surely a possibility . At Dell , it ’ s part of our culture to always lead with the well-being of our people — this kept our flexibility initiatives on target with our team members ’ needs .
Dell is not experiencing the same job attrition as most companies . Why do you think this is ? JS : Our team members want to do something that is more than just work itself ; they want to contribute and make the world a better place . They want to know that they ’ re developing and have opportunities to keep growing . Nobody wants to be static . Last year , 30,000 Dell team members moved to new roles inside our company , expanding their experience and
VH : Team members want to be surrounded by amazing people and a culture they believe in . I think every company is different , and every individual is different . We do the hard work to make sure our team members feel appreciated for being themselves .
What sets Dell apart from other companies in the industry that are vying for the same talent ? VH : We ’ re a purpose-driven , founder-led company . We are here to create technologies that drive human progress . Michael Dell says time and time again , “ Our most durable , competitive advantage is our culture and our people .” He believes this , and it permeates everything we do . We all feel it . And that is the key — people know when it ’ s inauthentic . All decisions you make as a company should align with your true culture .
JS : We even ask our team members what they think — through our annual Tell Dell survey — to ensure that our Culture Code and our People Philosophy aren ’ t just words on paper . And 98 % of our team members tell us they feel like we are living by our Culture Code every day .