In a competitive business environment, human resource management has taken on a more strategic and practical role in many companies to manage the challenges they face to remain competitive. Companies must find ways to attract customers and keep good, well-motivated employees on the job. With this in mind, successful companies must adopt sound human resource management practices and provide a positive work environment for employees. By analyzing the 10 best companies to work for, we want to know if human resource management practices have an effect on whether the company becomes one of the best places to work. We'll look at REI, number 9 in the top ten companies to work for, to see if strategic human resources management plays a role in their success. First, I want to provide a little background on REI, Recreational Equipment, Inc. REI is an outdoor equipment and apparel supplier company. REI is a cooperative, or rather a consumer cooperative. This means that the company is not listed on the stock exchange, but owned by its members. A group of climbers in need of outdoor gear founded the company many years ago and it now has over four million members nationwide and still growing. For twenty dollars, a consumer can purchase a lifetime membership to the consumer cooperative REI. By doing so, the member is entitled to receive a portion of the company's profits based on purchases made during the year. REI has been named to FORTUNE magazine's list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” since FORTUNE began ranking companies. According to REI's website, they believe that "employees are the heart of the cooperative and the ultimate source of our success." This statement already demonstrates that REI places a high value on human resources. Let us now consider those human resource management functions that keep REI employees at the center of their human resource management operating within the organization, at least to some extent. According to REI's website, the description of the Human Resources department is as follows: The Human Resources team is committed to enhancing REI's tradition of being one of the best places to work by providing quality programs, services and advice that enable us to attract, develop and reward employees. Services and programs are provided in the areas of staffing, employee relations, learning and development, total compensation and retail human resources. (REI website) The description of REI's Human Resources department leads one to believe that Human Resources has a broader role than just traditional functions. Works Cited Noe, Raymond A., et al. Human resource management: gaining a competitive advantage. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2010. Print.Recreation Equipment Inc. REI.com. Np, nd Web. September and October. 2011.