People come to work at Red Hat for our brand, but they stay for the people and the culture. It's integral to our success as an organization. It's what makes the experience of being a Red Hatter and working with other Red Hatters different. And it's what makes us so passionate about our customers’ and Red Hat’s success. In recognition of that, Red Hat has been ranked No. 50 on Fortune Magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For! Hats off--red fedoras, of course--to all Red Hatters!

Our open culture is what makes Red Hat a great place to work. We believe that our open culture is one of the organization's strategic differentiators. Red Hat’s open culture—the set of values and principles that influence how we work together and how we serve our customers—has always been a key ingredient in our employer value proposition. I believe that this is an exciting time to be a Red Hatter. From our product portfolio to our strategic relationships with customers on their digital transformations journeys, I am excited for what opportunities lay ahead of us.  

This year, to determine its rankings, the Best Companies to Work For survey, conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute, took into account more than just the benefits a company provides. It dove into what I believe to be most important: associates’ own experience of working at the organizations. That means the award reflects not just the culture we say we’re creating, but the culture our associates actually live every day. Eighty-five percent of the evaluation is based on what people report about their experiences of trust and reaching their full human potential as part of the organization, no matter who they are or what they do. The remaining pieces include an assessment of all associates’ daily experiences of our values, people’s ability to contribute new ideas, and the effectiveness of Red Hat leaders, to ensure they’re consistently experienced.

Open unlocks the world’s potential. At its core, the open source way is a powerful approach to create better technologies. But it has evolved beyond that. Associates working at Red Hat see first-hand that open enables people to share knowledge, build upon each other’s discoveries, and solve complex problems by bringing passionate people together to collaborate. We work to be the best place to make a difference together. Red Hat defaults to open, whether it be how we approach our technology or our culture. Open can create communities where individuals are supported to use their voices and talents to contribute. This translates to our associate experience by creating opportunities for our associates to achieve individual career goals and for the company to be an innovation leader.

This accolade is the latest recognition we’ve received in the last year. We’ve also been named a top employer in several additional categories and regions by the Great Place to Work Institute. We were ranked fifth on the Best Workplaces in Technology list for 2019 and twenty-seventh on the Best Workplaces for Parents for 2018. In addition, in 2018 we were recognized as a leading employer in Germany, Switzerland, the federal state of Bavaria, and in the ITC sector.

Being included on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list alongside other distinguished organizations, including some of our customers and partners, is an honor and privilege. Above all, I want to thank and congratulate all Red Hatters around the world. This recognition testifies to the hard work and passion you bring every day—and to your belief in the power of open.

DeLisa Alexander is executive vice president and chief people officer at Red Hat.