The Anti-Org Chart: Why Colin Zima Traded HR for Chaos (and Won)
Jan 9, 2025
auto_awesome
Colin Zima, former Looker executive and current Omni CEO, shares insights from his unique management style that thrives on minimal bureaucracy. He argues that founders should roll up their sleeves and tackle tough tasks directly. Colin explains his unconventional approach of operating without an HR or G&A team, valuing engagement over traditional roles. He discusses the cultural pitfalls from acquisitions, like the Google-Listener experience, and emphasizes the need for leaders to adapt their strategies in a hybrid work environment.
Colin Zima's approach to running a startup without traditional G&A roles fosters accountability and empowers every team member to contribute to core objectives.
Leaders in the organization play a crucial role in the recruitment process, enhancing their understanding of team dynamics and improving the quality of hires.
Deep dives
Intentional Structuring Without G&A Roles
The company operates without traditional G&A roles intentionally, encouraging all team members to either build or sell the product. This approach aims to avoid the inefficiencies associated with 'half jobs' and ensures that every employee is engaged and contributing to core functions. As the company scales, there's an emphasis on waiting until the workload genuinely requires dedicated personnel, thus fostering a culture of responsibility and problem-solving among leaders. This strategy helps in streamlining operations and promotes accountability, as leaders are tasked with doing essential functions before bringing in support roles.
Recruiting and Empathy Through Direct Involvement
The company stresses the importance of having leaders directly involved in recruiting processes, which cultivates empathy and a deeper understanding of team dynamics. By making leaders accountable for finding their own team members, they gain firsthand insight into the candidate market and learn to set realistic expectations. This method ultimately enhances the quality of hires, as leaders become more attuned to the nuances of recruitment and the realities of what they can expect from potential employees. Additionally, using shared experiences and existing networks further solidifies team cohesion and sets a precedent for collaborative hiring efforts.
Flexibility and Productivity in a Hybrid Model
The workforce operates in a hybrid model allowing flexibility for remote work while retaining physical office spaces, accommodating varying preferences among team members. This strategy leverages the experience and trust built among the founding team to ensure that productivity remains high, regardless of location. Employees are given the autonomy to manage their contributions while still being held accountable for their work performance through structured processes like weekly demos. This creates a culture where quality of output is prioritized over traditional office presence, fostering a more results-oriented environment.
Emphasizing Cultural Values and Growth Mindset
Cultural values play a pivotal role in the organization's operational philosophy, particularly with regard to mutual trust and expectation. Leaders are encouraged to model the behaviors they expect from their employees, contributing to a culture that values both hard work and personal life balance. The approach promotes a growth mindset, pushing individuals to strive for personal and organizational success while recognizing the necessity for occasional discomfort in roles. This cultural framework not only enhances engagement and dedication among employees but also sets the stage for continuous evolution as the company grows.
Colin Zima, former Looker exec turned Omni CEO, reveals how he runs a 65-person Series A startup with no HR or G&A team. Learn why he believes in minimal bureaucracy, why founders should do the "dirty work," and what really breaks after a Google acquisition.
*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.co
Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics
(00:00) Introduction(01:44) No G&A at Omni(04:50) Learning by Doing(09:10) Maximizing Roles (10:23) The Need for G&A (12:53) Sponsor: Metaview(14:49) Benefits of Doing the Work(15:32) Hiring a People Leader(18:19) Contractors vs FTEs(20:39) In-Office vs Remote (23:08) Homogenous Culture (26:25) Recruiting for Non-Networked People (29:31) Performance Management (32:24) Sales Ops and Performance (34:47) Unique Recruiting at Omni (37:00) Looker Acquisition by Google(42:24) Wrap
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode