“ Know your authentic purpose and culture , and then create a people philosophy from there . And remember that culture isn ’ t done , it ’ s lived .”
— Jennifer Saavedra , chief human resources officer , Dell Technologies
the National Society of Black Engineers . We are absolutely widening the net . And I know Dell will be better for it .
How do you create a culture where team members want to stay ? JS : Know your authentic purpose and culture , and then create a people philosophy from there . And remember that culture isn ’ t done , it ’ s lived . Building your authentic purpose and culture starts with data : “ Who are we ?” “ How
do others see us ?” “ Do our initiatives align with our values ?” These are questions you should ask yourself all the time .
And when it comes to this hiring market we ’ re in , ask your people : “ Why are you leaving ?” “ Why are you staying ?” “ What do you value that you aren ’ t getting ?” “ What do you need ?” This data — coupled with your purpose , culture and people — allows you to align your company with what matters most to your employees and leaders .
VH : Your commitment to supporting a culture that enables every person to feel they can be their authentic selves requires commitment from all levels within your company . This kind of commitment will keep your “ say / do ratio ” high and will gain the respect of your teams .
What learning has been top of mind when it comes to company culture ? JS : That there isn ’ t a playbook for what we ’ ve been through or what we ’ re going through . There is no one right answer . I worry when I see other companies cherry-picking what they think are best practices . If it isn ’ t true to who you are , it will feel inauthentic and people will see right through it , and it won ’ t work . Define who you are , what you value and what culture you want to create , and then permeate that through your policies , practices and behavior . Do what you say and make sure it all aligns with who you truly are .
VH : Exactly , and I really believe it all starts with leadership . Everything we care about , our whole culture , starts with Michael . People look up and he ’ s consistent all the time . So , again , you have to be true to the culture of your company . People have to feel and believe that where they work is fantastic . Their team , their day-to-day interaction with their leaders and peers , all those things need to be congruent .
It ’ s important to not just tell people to be a certain way , but to actually be that way . And I feel fortunate we have that at Dell . ■
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