At this point, astute readers might suspect that I am on DaVita’s payroll since this is my THIRD post about this company. Let me assure you that this Anderson MBA student is every bit as penniless as he was last week. But since I am just back from a “day on the job” event at DaVita’s corporate headquarters where I was well-fed, which is the primary need of any graduate student, DaVita shall be today’s topic – yet again! Note that students from USC – our archrival – also participated in the event, but no brawl ensued…
So a group of about 30 students showed up midmorning at Casa DaVita, the corporate headquarters, located in El Segundo, CA. There, VPs explained opportunities at DaVita through their leadership development program and told DaVita’s remarkable recovery story. We toured the headquarters and, since DaVita is a dialysis services provider, we also visited a dialysis clinic. Overall, it was a very interesting and enlightening day, and I finally found the best way to articulate why this company is so different: DaVita strives to humanize work and the work place. Let me explain how it became apparent.
On the inside, the Casa is a relatively large, airy building. Since HQ employees rarely meet patients, enormous tapestries featuring pictures of actual patients hang from the high ceiling to remind employees of the purpose of their work. Actually, there are no employees at DaVita’s, only teammates, and each division has been renamed to sound more fun. For example, the legal division is called the Justice League. Doing so makes sense since “fun” is one of DaVita’s core values. Moreover, many walls at the Casa are ornamented with murals that were designed by teammates at clinics to represent the company culture. You would be amazed to see the amount of work and the level of artistry that some of them represent. DaVita is also very involved in the community, here and abroad, and I encourage you to read their community care book if you care about corporate responsibility.
I’ll now do something I never do in any of my posts: write a fourth paragraph! If you are “too cool for school” and think DaVita sounds cheesy, or tacky even, you are completely missing the point. I have visited the headquarters and I have met with the staff and what I am telling you is that, as a result, I believe that this company is true to its mission to be the provider, partner and employer of choice. Did I drink the DaVita Kool Aid? Maybe a little. But if, like me, you are on the skeptical, cynical side of things, you know how exciting it is to finally find something for which you could stand.
–Simon
