XPENG’s Human Approach To Technology Awarded Most Popular Employer

XPENG has recently been named 2026 Forbes China Most Popular Employer amongst employees. This isn’t the first time XPENG has won an employer award. Having visited their campuses and seen how the company treats its employees, I can understand why. From the approachability and openness of the executives to the employee moms serving meals in the cafeteria, the technology company just feels more human.

The 2026 Forbes employee questionnaire consists of six sections: “Employer Image”, “Organizational Management”, “Training and Development”, “Work Environment”, “Compensation and Benefits” and, new for this year,  “AI Value Creation”.

That last section on AI value creation is particularly important. As Forbes points out, AI being useful does not necessarily mean a better experience. Companies can either use AI to simply try to replace people or to expand the capabilities of their people. If companies take the wrong approach, AI can be stifling. However, if companies the technology correctly and embrace the capabilities, AI can expand creativity, liberate people from mundane tasks and increase employee satisfaction.

Having had the opportunity to meet many people across XPENG on my recent trips, I came away impressed not just with how well the company seemed to treat its people. A dramatic departure from many of the media portrayals of China in the West. But I was also impressed with how passionate people were about the technology and bringing it to customers. Whether it is someone in finance, HR, PR or a technical field, all of them have the technology as their focus. A technology focus that is very human. Providing solutions for human needs with technology.

So, when I had a chance to briefly interview He Xiaopeng directly, I asked him how he inspires that passion in his people (auto translated with Google):

I believe that for a company in a major manufacturing nation, its foundational DNA is essentially a reflection of its founder’s own character. Personally, I have a deep passion for technology, and I value a straightforward approach to life combined with an agile, fast-paced way of getting things done. Consequently, the people I’ve recruited—those who align with this DNA—have stayed, while those who didn’t have naturally moved on. At XPENG, we have a very high concentration of technical talent—over 40% of our team hold master’s or doctoral degrees—all of whom are driven by the desire to develop the best possible technology. This is a core characteristic that has taken shape over the course of our 12-year entrepreneurial journey. Now, as we look toward global expansion, I expect this same DNA to help us succeed internationally; for our team, this represents a new challenge—a fresh evolution to embrace.

When you believe in the mission of a company, it becomes easier to put in the work needed to add value. When that same mission permeates from the top to the bottom of a company, believing in the mission becomes much easier.

Overall, XPENG is focused on using technology to improve people’s lives. And make lives cleaner and safer for their employees, customers and world at large. That overall focus can appeal to many people around the globe, far beyond China, although it will take respect and adaptation to local needs to be fully embraced everywhere.

While we can get caught up in metrics like kWh of battery, coefficient of drag or km of range, human beings are ultimately the reason why every great technology succeeds. They are the source of every innovation. And people are the reason why innovations matter.

While their approaches may be, different XPENG isn’t alone in focusing on the intersection of human beings and technology (Xiaomi and Seres also won employer awards from Forbes). However, having had more exposure to XPENG, I could see the emphasis throughout their organization. Even though these awards are not perfect, we can only hope more companies decide to compete for who treats their employees the best. And we can only hope more companies start focusing on the people who are the reason why the technology matters. That focus also shows up for customers in the products they buy, but that is for another article.