When the Ship Hits the Fan

Join HR veterans Rebecca Taylor and Kim Rohrer as they dive into a wild tale from the golden age of Silicon Valley startups. When a company attempts to rein in their party culture by transitioning from weekly happy hours to quarterly celebrations, what could go wrong? Follow along as they unpack a story of privilege, power dynamics, and why sometimes bringing order to chaos is harder than it seems. This episode highlights the challenges HR professionals face when caught between corporate oversight and startup culture.

Show Notes:

• Episode Topic: Startup party culture and corporate oversight collide
• Setting: Pre-COVID Silicon Valley startup (Figley) owned by public company (Jigsaw)
• Key Players: 
  • Sandra: HR professional caught between two worlds
  • Brent: General Manager of Figley
  • Figley: 250-300 person "startup" known for party culture
  • Jigsaw: Corporate parent company
• Key Points: 
  • Company transitions from weekly happy hours to quarterly events
  • First major event: A boat cruise with 250+ employees
  • Highlights issues of accountability in tech culture
• Demonstrates challenges of implementing corporate oversight
• Takeaways: 
  • The "no authority gauntlet" in HR and middle management
  • Impact of org structure on HR effectiveness
  • Challenges of culture change 
  • The role of privilege in workplace accountability
• Resource Links: 
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