Pros
The last year and a half has been enlightening. After juggling work and homeschooling 3 young children while schools were closed, I realized I wanted more. I needed to be in a place where what I was doing mattered and I was able to make an impact, significant difference, and be myself. When the opportunity in HR at Lesbians Who Tech & Allies presented itself, I knew it was where I needed to be. As a woman of color with nearly 20 years of HR and Operations experience, having the opportunity to be the first to hold the VP of HR position was not only an honor but a privilege. Lesbians Who Tech & Allies knew they wanted to place more of a focus on HR-specifically growth and development of their amazing folks and building a strong culture of inclusion, and I knew I was the right person to work alongside the CEO and Sr. leadership team to make this happen. In my first few months at Lesbians Who Tech & Allies I’ve felt valued as a woman of color and parent, shown a great deal of respect from the CEO and peers, and had my voice heard-truly heard! Nearly every day of the last few months has been a new adventure, filled with hard work, long hours, learning moments big and small, and the confidence knowing that the work I’m doing is making a difference and that I’m surrounded by folks that see me as my whole self- a woman of color, a mom, a lifelong learner and a professional. I’m so thankful to have found Lesbians Who Tech & Allies and I can’t wait for what the future holds!
Cons
This team and organization has done a lot over the last 8 years, however their HR systems need improvement. There needs to be structure, so you can build a foundation and culture that scales. That means I have my work cut out for me! And I will echo others that this type of work is not for everywhere. It’s a very fast paced environment that requires focus, intention and a high degree of communication. It’s an incredible team, and you will learn a lot, but if you need structure on day 1 or day 30, this is not the home for you... not quite yet at least. Give me a year!