What is it like to work in Human Resources at a tech startup? Liz has got all the answers! She spills the beans on the debate HR vs People Ops (and tells us why she prefers the latter term for her role description), gives us insights into company offsite planning and muses on the difficulties of fostering a thriving company culture within remote teams.
This is the third installment of our Lumiform team interview series. After getting to know the roles and responsibilites of our Scrum Master and the team motivation tricks of our Head of Sales, we wanted to dive deeper into the company culture at Lumiform – and who better to ask than our lovely People Operations Manager Liz?
Read on to learn more about the team offsite Lumiweek, company culture in a hybrid environment and what it takes to be a great people ops manager.
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Can you tell us more about your background, how you came to Lumiform and to HR?
What is your favorite thing about working in HR?
What is the difference between HR and People Operations?
How do you integrate the remote workers at Lumiform?
What does company culture mean to you?
Could you walk us through the process of planning and executing a company offsite?
Is there a particular kind of individual you believe tends to excel in People Ops?
Can you tell us more about your background, how you came to Lumiform and to HR?
Absolutely! I’ve had a bit of a zigzag career path—starting as a teacher, venturing into the wellness and tech startup scenes, and then dipping into HR.
While working remotely in People Operations for several years, I ultimately ended up craving more personal connections, so I landed at Lumiform in Berlin, where at least more than half of the hybrid team works together in person.
At Lumiform, the vibe felt like home—similar setup to my prior job, but much more organized and fast-paced. It’s been an awesome change, balancing the administrative stuff I enjoy with the rewarding aspects of team building and strategy.
What is your favorite thing about working in HR?
The best part about HR or People Ops for me is the constant focus on making the workplace better. Every task, whether mundane admin work or creative strategy, contributes to this goal. It’s about continuously asking, “How can we keep this place an amazing environment to work in?”
Sometimes it’s visible, sometimes it’s behind-the-scenes magic, but it all matters. I have this odd fondness for the administrative, ‘secretary’ type HR tasks mixed with the chance to be creative. It’s that blend that keeps things engaging and fulfilling for me every day.
People Ops is about continuously asking, “How can we keep this place an amazing environment to work in?”
I noticed that you often insist on describing your role as People Operations rather than HR, can you tell us why you are so adamant about making the distinction HR vs People Ops?
The “battle” of HR vs People Ops lies in the emphasis on human experience; it’s a blend of administrative duties and cultivating a vibrant company culture. People Ops teaches us that humans are not resources and that they need to be treated with respect.
I notice this especially in regards to the hybrid team at Lumiform. I really want to integrate the remote people in with the in-person people and put more structures in place that optimize for human connection and productivity. It is so important to me that people feel seen for their work, motivated and recognized no matter where they are.
I would say that transitioning from “HR” to “People Ops” in any kind of team embodies a fundamental shift in perspective that has been emerging more and more in recent years.
In the startup realm, especially in Silicon Valley, where I worked before coming to Lumiform, it was a competitive space where each company’s People Ops department aimed to be the trendiest, most innovative, and transparent one. This exposure taught me a lot.
Is the integration of remote workers one of the biggest challenges in your work at Lumiform?
I would definitely say so. Remote work is also becoming less common, interestingly.
Companies are starting to notice the impact that remote work has on team cohesion and are mandating people back to the office.
Prioritizing clear, transparent communication is a big but underestimated and often overlooked part of helping remote workers to feel connected. The idea of transparency is built into our company value of Honesty, which I observe the founders of Lumiform actively endeavoring to live out daily. We’re also preparing to implement a simple manager<>employee feedback system so people know exactly where they stand at all times, adding to that transparency in communication.
Part of what I’m working on right now is putting a structure in place for managers to run their teams in a way that optimizes for human connection. Ultimately the managers are the lifeblood of the culture and set the tone for an employee’s experience in the day-in, day-out of their role’s tasks.
In every day office interactions with the Berlin Lumis the company culture really shines through. People will spend their whole lunch hour sitting together and talking, even though they all also work together all day and stay an hour past working hours on a Friday night to just sit around and chat.
What does company culture mean to you?
Company culture, for me, isn’t just a textbook definition. It’s more about intuition, about understanding and observing how people interact and feel in their work environment. It’s about recognizing what matters to them, what motivates and engages them. This is exactly where the debate HR vs People Ops comes into play again.
It’s when people genuinely enjoy their time at work, feeling connected to their colleagues, appreciated for their efforts, and able to leverage their strengths within their roles. Essentially, it’s about fostering an environment where people thrive, feel valued, and find fulfillment in what they do.
You mentioned Lumiform’s hybrid model and the challenges it presents, especially for remote workers. We recently had our company offsite Lumiweek and I was wondering which impression did it leave you with in regards to company culture at Lumiform?
Lumiweek was a profound testament to Lumiform’s culture. The emphasis on out-of-the-box collaboration intensified the team’s mutual respect and admiration, especially during our first ever Hackathon.
After the competition I heard so many people say, “I was blown away by how smart my coworkers are, and how good they are at what they do.”
Lumiweek highlighted the incredible dedication and motivation of our team and it gave me an even stronger desire to do what we need to do to give each and every team member the credit and the recognition they deserve.
But even in every day office interactions with the Berlin Lumis the company culture really shines through. Everyone is always really sassy with each other and you can tell that they care about each other.
People will spend their whole lunch hour sitting together and talking, even though they all also work together all day and stay an hour past working hours on a Friday night to just sit around and chat. I think this is beautiful.
Lumiweek was a fantastic team-building event that we all greatly enjoyed. Could you walk us through the process of planning and executing such an event?
I love hearing that you enjoyed it! I really geek out on planning events, so organizing Lumiweek was a blast. Curating an experience that brings people together in the fullness of their humanity is so satisfying.
Initial planning involved ensuring everyone could participate, and then I let my imagination run wild. This year, the focus was on enhancing our product, combining collective intelligence through workshops and a hackathon. Collaboration with managers on activities, securing reservations, and considering every little detail to make individuals feel special was key.
I thrive on event planning, evident from organizing yoga retreats in other countries and orchestrating a Barbados offsite for a previous company, involving coordination across 13 countries. Spreadsheets and project management are my forte. For Lumiweek, intricate planning covered various activities—organizing a scavenger hunt, prizes, coordinating swag, selecting suitable restaurants, stocking essentials, ensuring transport know-how, and providing ample space and equipment for the larger influx of attendees.
Is there a particular kind of individual you believe tends to excel in People Ops?
In People Ops, excelling often requires a mix of traits. A penchant for perfection and organization is key; I find solace in meticulous tasks, whether sorting documents or pondering dynamic human interactions. High empathy and an unyielding respect for individuals are non-negotiable. It’s a shift from traditional HR, as we already explored. Especially in regards to HR vs People Ops, the latter is all about crafting a meaningful work experience.
Precision matters too; payroll mistakes or compliance slip-ups aren’t an option. Creative empathy and strategic agility are vital in addressing varied workplace concerns promptly. It’s an ongoing quest, blending personal intuition with team dynamics to sculpt a vibrant company culture—a realm where personal values and innovative problem-solving intersect.
