In this week’s episode of Tech Culture Club sponsored by Vaco, host and WorkDove CEO Melissa Phillippi had the chance to pick the brain of DeLisa Alexander, the former Chief People Officer at Raleigh-based Red Hat. Alexander worked at the open-source software leader for around 20 years and acquired a wealth of HR insight before becoming an executive advisor and coach to fast-growth companies in transition.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
- Alexander breaks down how exactly she views “capitalism for good” and how she supported it through Red Hat. At Red Hat, this meant being a good corporate citizen and fostering a vibrant and robust community. The concept is also tied to Alexander’s work on the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. (5:06)
- While at Red Hat, Alexander said (jokingly) that she discovered she had actually ruined her life by becoming a lawyer. It turned out that organizational development is where she wanted to be. Red Hat’s strong culture was long apparent to Alexander, who said that the company also invested in her to do an accelerated development program while she had two babies at home. (17:43)
- Beginning the process of getting intentional about your workplace culture is no simple feat, as Phillippi and Alexander discuss. According to Alexander, transparency is vital but it’s important to understand that transparency does not mean being argumentative or disrespectful. It also means training managers on what meritocracy looks like in action. (22:13)
Listen to Phillippi and Alexander dive even deeper into HR at tech companies in the full episode below, and don’t forget to subscribe! And as always, thanks to our sponsor, Vaco.
