Near the end of 2020, like many folks, I began thinking critically about what I wanted out of work. At that point, I had been in the People Ops/HR space for seven years, fortunate to have worked at several great companies and grown my experience. However, after interviewing around, I found myself doubtful that I’d find a company culture where I could practice my preferred approach to People Ops: transparent, collaborative, and creative. Discouraged, I was close to pivoting my career and starting over. Perhaps overkill, but I was far from the only HR practitioner nearing burnout as the pandemic churned on. All I knew for sure was that I was ready for change.
Then Galois found me. At first I was apprehensive. What’s this Collaborative Web thing, and how does it work not relying on managers? Can a company really default to transparency and not have folks freak out? Is “joy at work” a real thing? And, would I fit in at a company full of brilliant, technical people? But soon, my apprehension turned to intrigue as my interviewers cared much less about how I did things and much more about why I did them. This genuine curiosity from the Galwegians I encountered was very exciting to me in terms of a People Ops approach. This was, and is, a company that prioritizes substance over form in designing its people experience. In February, 2021, I decided to join Galois to determine if the rest held true.
It did.
While the Galwegian experience is difficult to distill, I’ve tried here to highlight the key elements that I think make our people approach and culture unique. These compel me to do meaningful work, stay connected across the company, and—it’s true—actually have joy at work.
Distinction #1: It’s Just Us
There is not a standalone part of the organization that is singularly responsible for developing the Galwegian experience. Rather, we all share in creating an excellent organizational culture. As part of my People Ops role, I don’t plan and carry out culture activities in a bubble. The community shares what is important to them and People Ops helps determine who/where in the organization might help facilitate an idea (sometimes it’s People Ops, but many times it’s not). It’s more fun this way because engagement is built-in vs. being forced fun.
One way we empower Galwegians towards shared responsibility of employee experience is through the People Council, a group of people from across the organization that represents cross-cutting concerns. In addition to serving as a kind of clearing house for cultural issues and ideas raised by Galwegians, the council is interested in ensuring our people practices align with our Core Principles and that Galwegians experience joy at work for their entire tenure. I’m never working or thinking about people-related topics alone; we are all invested in creating and evolving our culture.
By way of another example, during a conversation in our DEI Reading Group, a Galwegian suggested just for good measure, analyzing compensation change history for any discernible differences in patterns between identifiable groups. People Ops completed the work and held a community meeting to share the results. Through this collaboration, we had more involvement and interest from the community than if we had done the work “behind the scenes.” This was a gratifying experience for me personally because I knew I was working on something that mattered to the community and I got to show the work.
Distinction #2: Taking Care of the Individual
Have you ever been in a difficult spot at work and, when you got the courage to ask for help, you were pointed to a company policy? Have you been on the receiving end of a formulaic, template-ized response that didn’t even address what you were worried about?
At Galois, I’m encouraged to go to lengths to avoid a formulaic approach. Instead, we start with the individual in mind. Each person has concerns and needs that we ought to listen closely to understand how we can best support their unique circumstance. This is difficult in organizations that prioritize a policy first / people second approach, and many HR folks get caught in this bind when they don’t have the autonomy and creative encouragement to forge a better solution.
Whether it’s a leave of absence, performance concern, disability accommodation, or any other potentially sticky People Ops topic, my aim is to first center the individual’s concern and then figure out how to best support them in accordance with the law, our culture, and what is fundamentally important to them.
Distinction #3: We Do Things Differently
Here are a few more examples of culture-impacting practices that I’ve experienced Galois handling differently than a traditional company might. These are all practical approaches that I’ve appreciated as a Galwegian and in carrying out my People Operations results.
| Typical Approach | Galois | |
| Compensation | Closed compensation; employees unsure if what they’re making is fair Employees are unclear how their salary is set and how it moves Relationship between performance management and salary changes is opaque | Compensation of every person in the company is transparent Relationship between one’s level and salary movement is systematic and consistent People Ops and functional areas work together on career level matrices and compensation benchmarking Results of annual compensation analysis are shared in company meeting |
| Employment Flexibility | Employees stay in the role they were hired for, face an arduous job-change application process, or risk employment separation if dissatisfaction in current role is voiced Reduction of standard 40-hour work week not an option, or results in loss of benefits eligibility | Galwegians are empowered and supported to negotiate boundaries that enable harmony between work and life Option to flex % of full-time employment up or down, without negatively impacting benefits Ability to make new offers beyond one’s primary role, incrementally or as a path towards career development or role change Galwegians opt into a set of results that facilitate their joy at work, and renegotiate when needed |
| Trust & Autonomy | Employees must first prove themselves to earn trust Focus on presenteeism and over-productivity Pressure to be “always on” Employees report to a manager who controls work and performance reviews | Trust is assumed across involvement, competency, and sincerity. Addressed directly when it’s broken Emphasis on producing good results, not the time spent doing them No expectation of after-hours responsiveness or work production Customers and performers engage in a mutual workflow, each having a say in what works for them |
| Leadership Approach | Decisions are made through hierarchical layers of management and cast down to direct reports Authoritative leadership is expressed through position and one’s place in the org chart | Decision-making and authorities are tuned to each role Leadership is expressed through influence and relationships, not via management roles or hierarchical structures |
I am so glad I took a chance on Galois and stayed with my People Ops career. I came in wondering if a company culture like Galois’s was real or just hype and how I’d operate within it. I was skeptical if it could really work. It can, and it does. Not only does Galois’s approach to people and culture make the Galwegian experience more joyful, it sets us up for success by propelling curiosity, collaboration, and trust. We’re innovative and successful not in spite of, but because of our distinctions.