Nevro may be best known for its breakthrough pain treatments, but the medical technology company is also succeeding at something less scientific: providing a thriving company culture.
Based in Redwood City, California, Nevro has managed to build a culture that resonates with its employees across the globe. This year, the company was recognized by culture and compensation data platform Comparably in the following categories: Best CEOs for Women, Best CEOs for Diversity, Best Leadership, Best Managers, and Best Companies for Professional Development. Nevro carries an A+ ranking for overall culture on Comparably, putting it in the Top 5% of similarly sized companies in the U.S.
So what’s the company’s secret to creating a culture that engages and inspires employees? Nevro Chief People Officer Divya Ghatak says great culture needs to start at the top and be translated into all aspects of the company’s decision making. When culture is tied to the core focus of the company, employees are inspired. “People in their hearts and minds have to be excited about what they do and why they do it. They have to be passionate about it. Because when you’re passionate about it, it’s not ‘work’ – you’re excited about it, you want to solve problems,” Ghatak says.
Ghatak, who joined the company last year after previous positions at GoodData and Cisco, says she was first drawn to Nevro because she felt she could make a bigger impact at a smaller company. But it was Nevro’s focus on culture that sold her entirely.
“The leadership team that was very mission-driven and focus-driven and they felt that the culture aspect was as important as the high-growth aspect,” she says. “I didn’t think that sort of company existed until I found Nevro.”
Here are four culture-building secrets that companies in any industry can learn from.
1. Team first mindset: They screen out candidates who are not a culture fit in the interview process and the CEO meets with every new hire.
When Nevro looks to hire someone, it looks for a few very important characteristics: people who have the grit and ability to persevere, are passionate, and have a founder’s mentality that allows them to look for the best solutions. Perhaps most importantly, they look for people who believe in the value of teamwork, are humble and want to make other people successful and always operate with high integrity.
“Your culture needs to be evident in who you hire, who you promote and who you fire,” says Ghatak. “We screen out divas.”
With employees giving Nevro a Team Score of 96 out of 100 on Comparably, the process appears to be working. As one employee puts it: “Our team is made up of the most caring individuals you can imagine. We practically fall over each other trying to help or assist our co-workers.”
And as if running a fast-growing $1.8 billion company isn’t hard enough, Nevro CEO Rami Elghandour makes it his business to meet every new hire — whether it be a VP, director, sales rep, clinical specialist or an admin.
“When I was interviewing and he told me this, I was like ‘Are you serious?’” says Ghatak. “I don’t know how he does it, but he will remember their name, or something from their interview. He is the best steward of our culture.”
Elghandour only opts out of these interviews when scheduling is near impossible (about 1-2% of the time). The company plans to hire at least 200 people this year.
2. They’re focused on building strong communities both inside and outside of Nevro
Another way Nevro is unique is in its mission to build strong communities both inside and outside its walls. “It’s so heartwarming when our team members talk about how much they feel appreciated, how much they feel the company truly cares about the wellbeing of themselves and their families,” says Ghatak. “It helps that our leadership team sets the tone and sponsors a variety of wellness and community events each month from ping pong tournaments, cross cultural celebrations, wellness fairs etc.” Nevro recently held an open house for its employees and families complete with community outreach activities, kid’s carnival and also opened up its fully equipped games room to families of all employees. The company also has a strong community outreach programs that regularly gives back to causes employees care about from homeless shelters, natural disasters, education etc. and hosting events where employees assemble and give back as a team.
3. They want to hear every voice in the room.
One of the key areas where Nevro excels is in its diversity, with female and minority employees ranking their experience at the company an A+, according to data at Comparably. An employee who recently immigrated to the country says, “the diverse backgrounds [at Nevro] don’t make me feel out of place.”
Nevro attributes its success to actively looking for ways to encourage diverse perspectives, not just hoping it will happen. “We’re intentional about making sure that not only the loudest voice in the room is being heard,” says Ghatak.
One of the ways they do this is through a women’s program they created that brings together female healthcare practitioners from a variety of pathways (neurosurgeons, pain management specialists, etc.) to network and mentor with women both within and outside the company. “It has been transformational,” Ghatak says.
4. They realize that perks matter — to a point
Employees rave about Nevro’s benefits and compensation packages, with employees citing the “many holidays,” health care, 401(k) matching, employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), and bonuses as “outstanding.” The company also offers benefits related to fertility and support for difficult life changes, as well as tuition reimbursement and other professional development opportunities.
But the company isn’t just throwing money at what they see as “cool”; they are taking the time to understand what matters to employees. “I see a lot of companies, especially startups, offer a whole bunch of perks, benefits and retention bonuses. But more and more people are choosing environments where there’s alignment between their values and the values of the company.”
