Intel

How Intel Corp. Won my Heart as an Employee

Have you ever had that feeling that “work sucks”?  Ever felt ‘stuck’ in a job and wishing you had a better boss, a better role, a better pay, etc.?   Now, when you changed jobs… ever wish for the old days?   I can tell you unequivocally that I have felt both feelings, but my time as a Chip Designer and Chip Architect at Intel Corp. was most decidedly different than any job hence.

So, what was it about working at Intel Corp. that won my heart?

I began working at Intel in Oregon in 1999.  I quickly learned 3 things: 1. Intel takes training seriously.  2. Intel cares a lot about their employees.  3. Intel truly does believe in culture.

The New Hire Orientation at Intel was extensive and serious.  They taught you all about the Intel Corporate Values and the Intel Benefits and such…  It was 3 days of serious reading, lecture and work… all well organized and seemingly useful.  I had serious doubts about Intel’s supposed “Values” however…. did companies really do that?

Well, I was wrong. Intel takes values very seriously.  Not only did they pass out a badge with their values on the back, hang signs everywhere, and talk about their values constantly… but also:
    1. their 360 feedback process for raises and evaluation was centered primarily on our adherence to Intel’s Values.
   2. The training didn’t end.  I was required to take 1 or 2 courses from “Intel U” every quarter…and sometimes more.
   3. As I proceeded into more management type roles, I was required to take a course that stuck with me to this day: 7-Habits of Highly Effective People.  An excellent course, from Dr. Stephen Covey himself.

And then I realized suddenly, I was LIVING Intel’s Values:
   1. I was taking smart risks at work, and getting rewarded with promotions.
   2. I was helping keep Intel a great place to work, participating in and organizing company-sponsored events and joining the Emergency Response Team.
   3. I was involved in Intel organized community events and “clean-ups”.
   4. I was focused on Quality and Innovation.
   5. I was keeping open and direct in my communications.

Wow, this culture of Intel had invaded my soul… and everyone around me, from my coworkers to my bosses to Executive VPs were doing the same.  All on the same page about what makes Intel Great.

So now, as I reflect on those days, I realize, what made Intel win my heart was simple… they really meant those “core values” they preached to us in orientation.  They LIVED by those values, and so did I.  It felt good to be part of something “real”… that was just what they said it was: they practiced what they preached: and that’s how they’ve kept a lead on an industry for more than 50 years.

Culture is not corny to Engineer-types.

Many people think that the “culture”, “mission statement”, “values”, of a company is ‘corny’. We are often embarrassed by it, feeling it a kind of fake thing. If this is you, you may be in the wrong company. A strong company culture is absolutely the #1 most important thing for a businessman and especially a CEO to consider and stick to. For engineer-type minds, it sets a standard of measurement for the intangible. All our lives, we’ve been graded in two ways: factual ‘right’ answers (Objective) and ‘intangible’/feel answers (Subjective). All our lives, we engineer-types have failed (or not excelled) at the subjective. Culture should not be a corny thing to engineer-types, it should be thing #1. Most (if not all) of the engineers I’ve hired know this, and that’s a MAJOR reason the decide to work for (really with) me.

There are companies known for great corporate culture: National Instruments, Intel, and Google to name a few. People, myself included, seek out these companies and prefer to work at them. I spent many years at Intel blissfully unaware of my under-payment, because I was happy. I thrived in the culture that put a standard of measure on the subjective: and my performance ratings prove it.

More than just ratings and rankings though, a company culture sets forth a ‘norm’, a code of conduct, a code of honor, that permeates who you are as a company. In many companies that have “weak” corporate culture, this is not a good thing. Yes, they have “the mission statement and values” list like everyone else, but the measurement system is broken. Instead of ‘calling it’ when someone breaks the code or doesn’t live up to the corporate culture: it goes ignored if results are good. In fact, in most companies throughout the USA, results matter most of all (enter Enron). I believe, as do most Engineer-type minds, that the ends do not always justify the means: and that doing something ‘right’ and winning is better than doing it ‘wrong’ and winning bigger.

Culture should be used to select who you hire, who you fire, and how you measure success. In fact, when a company gets bogged down in ‘the hard stuff’ and can’t find its way, looking to culture there is always a way out. Culture can also seriously impact how others view you.

The Rich Dad’s Advisor: Building a Business Team that Wins is a practical guide to how to build, and more importantly how to enforce, a company culture.

For myself, I believe I have found the perfect company culture for both success and for my personal belief structure (an excellent match)… more on that on another post. In the mean-time here is Intel’s excellent corporate culture statements, which I can say generally speaking, was heavily enforced and rewarded in a very positive manner. (no I’m not re-joining Intel at this time, though I would work there again in a heartbeat for the right position).

Customer Orientation

We strive to listen and respond to our customers, suppliers, and stakeholders; clearly communicate mutual intentions and expectations; deliver innovative and competitive products and services; make it easy to work with us; and be a vendor of choice.

Discipline

We strive to conduct business with uncompromising integrity and professionalism; ensure a safe, clean, and injury-free workplace; make and meet commitments; properly plan, fund, and staff projects; and pay attention to detail.

Quality

We strive to achieve the highest standards of excellence; do the right things right; continuously learn, develop, and improve; and take pride in our work.

Risk Taking

We strive to foster innovation and creative thinking, embrace change and challenge the status quo, listen to all ideas and viewpoints, learn from our successes and mistakes, and encourage and reward informed risk taking.

Great Place to Work

We strive to be open and direct, promote a challenging work environment that develops our diverse workforce, work as a team with respect and trust for each other, win and have fun, recognize and reward accomplishments, manage performance fairly and firmly, and be an asset to our communities worldwide.

Results Orientation

We strive to set challenging and competitive goals, focus on output, assume responsibility, constructively confront and solve problems, and execute flawlessly.

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