Patty McCord's Harvard Business Review article has been circulating again, so we thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the highlights from HBR's How Netflix Reinvented HR article.
Patty had been Netflix's Chief Talent Officer from 1998 to 2012 having stewarded HR through startup phase, IPO and to one of the largest digital entertainment companies in the world.
She proposes a number of controversial and interesting HR concepts:
Adequate performance gets a generous severance package
We're like a pro sports team with stars in every position
We help each other to be great
Hard work is not revelvant - we care about great work
A-level performance, despite minimal effort is rewarded with more responsibility and pay
Brilliant jerks will not be tolerated - the cost to the team is too high
There is no vacation or tracking policy - take whatever seems appropriate
Netflix policy on expensing, entertainment, gifts & travel: Act in Netflix's Best Interest
Pay top of market. One outstanding employee is more effective than two adequate employees
No ranking Netflix employees. We want all employees to be top 10% relative to pool of global candidates