Culture Uncovered

The Recruit Brands
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Ever wonder how the best companies in the world actually build their culture? Maybe you’re a People leader looking for ideas that work in practice, not just on paper. Or maybe you’re weighing your next career move and want to know what it’s really like inside. Well, you've come to the right place.Each week we meet with talent leaders at companies you’ve heard of - and many organizations you haven’t. Giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the culture that fuels the best companies in the world.

  1. 4d ago

    A National Parks Pass, Because Obviously | Working at Hike2

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Rebecca Kerr, former Director of People & Talent at Hike2, to explore what it's like to build culture at a fast-growing technology consulting firm named after its founders' love of the outdoors. Rebecca shares how she was personally recruited by co-founder Amanda Wodzenski through a direct LinkedIn message when the company was just 20 people — an early signal of how intentional Hike2's leadership was about building people infrastructure well before most companies would think to. The conversation dives into what pulled her away from a stable role at a large global company into an unfamiliar industry, and how Hike2 built a curious, collaborative culture suited to consultants navigating client environments that aren't always their own. The episode also covers Hike2's standout National Parks pass perk, its "Trail Talks" lunch-and-learn program, and candid reflections on the communication growing pains that come with scaling quickly — plus why teachers, surprisingly, tend to make excellent consultants. What You'll Learn How Hike2's founders prioritized building people infrastructure at just 20 employees, earlier than most companies doWhy running toward a new challenge, not just away from a stable job, made the move to Hike2 the right callHow Hike2 supports consultants who move between client cultures and their own internal oneWhy the company screens for comfort with ambiguity and real-time problem-solving over rehearsed interview answersWhat makes teachers surprisingly well-suited for consulting careersHow Hike2 has had to relearn and improve internal communication as the company scales quicklyCompany Highlights Industry: Technology and AI consultingCustomer Base: Enterprise clients across multiple industries, served both remotely and on-site depending on client preferenceCompany Stage: ~80 employees, grown from a 20-person team over four and a half years, remote-firstCulture: High-performing, collaborative, and built around curiosity and comfort with ambiguityFocus Areas: AI and data capability building, leadership development, and scaling communication practicesUnique Perks & Programs National Parks Pass: A company-provided perk reflecting the team's outdoorsy culture and the company's own nameFlexible PTO: Remote-first flexibility intended to help consultants recharge between demanding client engagementsAccessible Leadership: An open-door culture where any employee can speak directly with leadership, even as the company has scaled to 80 peopleTrail Talks: Employee-led lunch-and-learns covering everything from technical skills to personal passionsExposure to Cutting-Edge Client Work: Broad, resume-building experience across industries and emerging AI technologyGrowing Leadership Development Investment: Increased focus on training and supporting people managers as the team has grownTo learn more about Hike2: Careers Page LinkedIn Page Rebecca's LinkedIn

    A National Parks Pass, Because Obviously | Working at Hike2

  2. 6d ago

    Creating a Culture Where Working Parents Thrive | Working at Formation Bio

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Dale Klasko, SVP of People at Formation Bio, to explore what it's like to build culture at an AI-native pharma company reimagining the drug development life cycle from clinical trials through FDA approval. Dale shares how she joined the company (then called Trial Spark) in March 2020 as part of its first fully remote cohort, and the early, tangible moment that cemented her belief in the mission: running a COVID-19 clinical trial within her first few months. The conversation dives into how she found the role through an often-overlooked strategy — building relationships with VC talent partners to get warm introductions into companies aligned with her interests — and how Formation Bio's four core values, including the standout "be a scientist," have stayed consistent through years of significant company growth and change. The episode also covers Formation Bio's deliberate, hands-on approach to AI upskilling — including a company-wide "Citizen Builder Boot Camp" where employees shipped real internal tools in under three days — alongside its strong working-parent benefits and a candid reflection on the challenge of keeping expectations clear as AI capabilities evolve so quickly. What You'll Learn How Formation Bio's mission to speed up drug development led it to acquire and own its own clinical-stage drug assetsHow to use VC talent partner networks as a job-search strategy to get warm introductions to startupsWhat Formation Bio's four core values are, including the distinctive "be a scientist" approach to problem-solvingHow the company's Citizen Builder Boot Camp got non-technical employees building real AI-powered tools in days, not monthsWhat real examples of employee-built AI tools look like, from a custom skills-training app to an interactive onboarding assistantWhy being explicit about fast-changing AI expectations is critical as the technology acceleratesCompany Highlights Industry: AI-native pharmaceutical and drug developmentCustomer Base: Patients awaiting new treatments, served through an end-to-end, AI-powered drug development pipelineCompany Stage: 10-year-old company (formerly Trial Spark), Series D-funded (led by a16z in 2024), ~150 employees, headquartered in NYC with a new Boston office openingCulture: Mission-driven, first-principles thinking, and intentionally lean in structureFocus Areas: AI upskilling and tooling, R&D team-building under new leadership, and working-parent supportUnique Perks & Programs Generous Parental Leave: 18–20 weeks for birthing parents and 12 weeks for non-birthing parents, with strong cultural support for actually taking full leaveParents Employee Resource Group: A community built by employees (including Dale) offering events, a take-your-kid-to-work day, and ongoing connection for working parentsUnlimited PTO: Flexible time off, particularly valued by parents managing unpredictable schedulesCitizen Builder Boot Camp: A 2.5-day, company-wide AI building intensive where every participant shipped a working tool tied to their jobAsk Enterprise AI Slack Channel: An always-on peer support channel where non-technical employees get real-time help solving technical AI problemsEnterprise AI Tool Access: Company-wide subscriptions to tools like ChatGPT and Claude, paired with structured training and engineer "buddy" supportTo learn more about Formation Bio: Careers Page LinkedIn Page Dale's LinkedIn

    Creating a Culture Where Working Parents Thrive | Working at Formation Bio

  3. Oct 29

    More PTO May Be the Key to Better Productivity | Working at Coverdash

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Matthew Brunwasser, Head of People Ops at Coverdash, to explore what it's like to build culture at a fast-growing, tech-forward commercial insurance company serving small businesses and contractors. Matthew shares his unconventional path into people ops — from 13+ years running restaurants and poke bars in New York City, to agency recruiting post-COVID, to head-of-people roles at Bbot (acquired by DoorDash) and Sauce — and how a direct LinkedIn message from Coverdash's CEO led him to an industry he wasn't initially passionate about, but a team he immediately connected with. The conversation dives into how Coverdash maintains an "evolving collaboration" culture across a truly distributed workforce spanning the US, Serbia, and soon Latin America, including a core overlap window for real-time communication and heavy use of Loom videos to bridge time zones asynchronously. The episode also covers Coverdash's benefits philosophy — built directly from employee engagement survey requests rather than guesswork — its responsible PTO policy that rewards results over face time, and an honest reflection on the challenge of building genuine personal connection across a workforce that tripled in just over a year. What You'll Learn How Coverdash uses technology to modernize commercial insurance for small businesses and contractorsHow a distributed team across the US, Serbia, and soon Latin America stays collaborative despite major time zone gapsWhy Coverdash relies heavily on Loom videos instead of long Slack threads or waiting for same-time availabilityHow the company's "responsible PTO" policy ties flexibility to performance rather than time loggedWhy Coverdash builds new benefits directly from engagement survey requests instead of guessing what employees wantAn honest look at the challenge of fostering real personal connection across a workforce that tripled in just over a yearCompany Highlights Industry: Tech-driven commercial insurance (insurtech) for small businesses, contractors, and consultantsCustomer Base: Small businesses and independent contractors historically underserved by traditional insurance carriersCompany Stage: 4-year-old, Series A-funded company; ~95 employees (doubled in under a year), nearing profitabilityCulture: Evolving, collaborative, and intentionally built around flexibility and trust over rigid structureFocus Areas: Sales and operations growth, internal tech upskilling, leadership development, and cross-timezone connectionUnique Perks & Programs Responsible/Flexible PTO: Performance-based time off with no cap, exemplified by a top performer who took six weeks off in a yearSurvey-Driven Benefits Rollout: New benefits (like a recently added 401(k) and match) launched directly in response to employee survey requestsManager Book Club: A quarterly leadership development program (recent reads include Radical Candor and Who) paired with accountability check-insInternal Tech Demo Days: Regular sessions teaching non-technical employees to build and use internal tools without relying on engineeringStrong Internal Promotion Track: Nearly all current leaders, including the lead software engineer and sales/ops team leads, were promoted from withinExpensed Team Bonding Trips: Spontaneous, leader-initiated outings (like a golf trip for the Rochester team) without requiring prior budget approval To learn more about Coverdash: Careers Page (they're hiring!) LinkedIn Page Matthew's LinkedIn Small Businesses looking to confirm they have the best rates and policies possible

    More PTO May Be the Key to Better Productivity | Working at Coverdash

  4. Oct 27

    The VP of HR's Hot Take on Working Remotely | Working at Vivrelle

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Kaitlyn Borea, VP of HR and Talent at Vivrelle, to explore what it's like to build culture at a members-only luxury handbag and jewelry rental club founded by a husband-and-wife team. Kaitlyn shares how a confidential executive search led her to Vivrelle, and what sealed the decision: leadership's genuine understanding of parenthood and work-life boundaries. The conversation dives into the unique challenge of leading HR for two very different employee populations under one roof — a traditional 9:30-to-6 logistics and operations team that hand-packs every luxury item, and a more flexible, Slack-driven corporate team — and how that shaped Vivrelle's deliberate return to an in-office culture. The episode also covers Vivrelle's standout "bucket of remote days" perk, which gives corporate employees full autonomy over when to use flexible work time, along with candid advice for job seekers on identifying their non-negotiables by season of life, and why Kaitlyn believes small, scrappy startups offer unmatched growth exposure early in a career. What You'll Learn How Vivrelle's founders got the idea for a luxury handbag rental service during their own wedding planningWhy Vivrelle intentionally returned to a five-day, in-office culture rather than staying remoteHow the company's "bucket of remote days" gives corporate employees full autonomy over flexible work timeWhy leading HR for two distinct employee populations (logistics/ops vs. corporate) requires different approaches to benefits and cultureHow to evaluate a job opportunity by identifying your non-negotiables for your current "season of life"Why Kaitlyn believes small startups offer faster, higher-exposure growth than larger established companiesCompany Highlights Industry: Luxury fashion rental / membership subscription service (handbags and jewelry)Customer Base: Members ranging from space-conscious city dwellers to frequent event-goers seeking variety without ownershipCompany Stage: Founded in September 2018, Series C-funded, ~70 employees, in-office five days a week in ManhattanCulture: High-trust, high-autonomy, casual, and intentionally low-stress despite operating in the luxury spaceFocus Areas: Logistics and operations excellence, growth marketing (newly built out), and sustainable (not aggressive) hiringUnique Perks & Programs Bucket of Remote Days: 30 flexible remote days per year for corporate employees to use however and whenever suits their lifeEmployee Membership Discount: Significant discount on Vivrelle's own luxury handbag and jewelry membershipExtra PTO for In-Office Roles: Additional paid time off specifically for employees whose roles require daily in-office presenceOpt-In Lifestyle Perks: Peloton, Citi Bike, and Kind Body memberships available based on individual interestPaid Birthday Off: A company-wide day off for every employee's birthdayAccess to Brand Events: Employee participation in pop-ups and partnership events (e.g., a Hamptons pop-up and a Kith collaboration celebration)To learn more about Vivrelle: Careers Page (they're hiring!) LinkedIn Page Kaitlyn's LinkedIn

    The VP of HR's Hot Take on Working Remotely | Working at Vivrelle

  5. Oct 22

    Culture Inspired By Core Values | Careers at McGuire Sponsel

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Kiley Ewing, Chief People Officer at McGuire Sponsel, to explore what it's like to build culture at a specialty tax firm that helps businesses save money through partnerships with CPA firms across the country. Kiley shares her unconventional path to the role — joining as an external sales coach for five years before being asked to build out the company's HR function from scratch as Chief People Officer. The conversation dives into how she's spent her first year and a half laying real infrastructure: a new applicant tracking system, a PEO transition that improved benefits, a learning management system in progress, and a relaunched mentorship program. The episode also covers the redesigned two-year Leadership Academy, built around coaching application over one-time training, and how McGuire Sponsel's GREAT core values (growth mindset, relationships, excellence, awareness, tenacity) show up in hiring, performance reviews, and day-to-day culture — including a hiring strategy built around training new grads rather than requiring tax experience. What You'll Learn How McGuire Sponsel's CPA partnership model drives growth without going directly to businessesHow Kiley's five years as an external sales coach led to her becoming Chief People OfficerWhy the Leadership Academy expanded from one year to two, shifting from training to coaching-based applicationHow the GREAT core values (growth mindset, relationships, excellence, awareness, tenacity) are built into hiring and performance reviewsWhy McGuire Sponsel intentionally hires new grads without tax experience and trains them from scratchHow employee-driven AI automation projects are reshaping efficiency across the firmCompany Highlights Industry: Specialty tax consulting (R&D credits, cost segregation, property tax, international tax, site selection)Customer Base: Businesses referred through a network of 500+ partnered CPA firms across all 50 statesCompany Stage: Founded in 2007, ~125 employees, headquartered in Indianapolis with offices in Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, and PhoenixCulture: Relationship-driven, growth-oriented, and primarily in-office to support internal connectionFocus Areas: Leadership development, structured onboarding/training for new grads, operational efficiency, and AI-driven process improvementUnique Perks & Programs Summer Fridays: A post-tax-season flexibility perk allowing remote, as-needed availability on Fridays through the summerTwo-Track Leadership Academy: A two-year, nomination-based program split into Emerging Leaders and Advanced Leader tracksFully Paid Core Benefits: Health, dental, vision, life insurance, and short/long-term disability fully covered by the firmGenerous PTO Scaling: Four weeks of PTO for all employees, increasing to five weeks after five years of tenurePet Wellness Coverage: Supplemental insurance offerings beyond standard health benefitsAnnual Mentorship Program: A refreshed, year-round mentorship initiative for new hiresTo learn more about McGuire Sponsel: Careers Page (they're hiring!) LinkedIn Page Kiley's LinkedIn

    Culture Inspired By Core Values | Careers at McGuire Sponsel

  6. Oct 20

    Benefits are Localized to Employee's Global Location | Jobs at Pebl

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Kim Marsh, Former Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Pebl (formerly Velocity Global), to explore what it's like to build culture at a global employer of record company helping businesses hire talent in over 185 countries. Kim shares how her move to Pebl was her third time working alongside her trusted CHRO, and what made the interview process itself feel different — real transparency from the team about what they were building and why the role was open. The conversation dives into how global hiring naturally builds humanity into company culture, since supporting employees across different countries, labor laws, and customs forces a more thoughtful, people-first approach than a one-size-fits-all policy ever could. The episode also covers Pebl's "fail fast" ethos coming directly from leadership, its AI hackathons that have led to real cross-functional career moves, and candid advice for job seekers on bringing their authentic selves rather than trying to guess what an interviewer wants to hear. What You'll Learn How an employer of record (EOR) removes the complexity of hiring talent across 185+ countriesWhy Kim treats interviewing like matchmaking, looking for authenticity and real two-way connectionHow Pebl's "fail fast" culture shapes how the team approaches new ideas, especially around AIHow global hiring naturally builds more thoughtful, human-centered benefits and policiesHow Pebl's AI hackathons have led to real cross-functional career moves within the companyWhy job seekers shouldn't disqualify themselves from applying to a role that's a close fitCompany Highlights Industry: Global employer of record (EOR) and HR technologyCustomer Base: Companies hiring international talent without in-house expertise in global labor law and complianceCompany Stage: Founded in 2012 as Velocity Global, recently rebranded to Pebl; 500+ employees, remote-first with hubs in Palo Alto and TorontoCulture: Ambitious, transparent, collaborative, and comfortable with rapid pivotsFocus Areas: Global hiring complexity, AI-driven product evolution, internal mobility, and authentic candidate experienceUnique Perks & Programs AI Hackathons: Company-wide events where employees build and showcase tools, often sparking new cross-functional career pathsGlobal Holiday Celebrations: Recognition of culturally diverse holidays (World Cup, Lunar New Year, Cinco de Mayo) reflecting the company's global workforce"Wow Wednesdays": Regular company gatherings where employees publicly recognize cross-functional colleagues for their contributionsFlexible, Remote-First Structure: Primarily remote work with hybrid hub options and in-person leadership and team gatheringsLocalized Benefits by Country: Benefits and support tailored to each employee's local labor laws, culture, and life circumstancesStrong Internal Mobility: Demonstrated pattern of employees moving across departments (e.g., RevOps to product, solutions engineering to sales)To learn more about Pebl: Careers Page (they're hiring!) LinkedIn Page Kim's LinkedIn

    Benefits are Localized to Employee's Global Location | Jobs at Pebl

  7. Oct 15

    Three Pillars of Building a Sales Team with Doug Freeman from Crunchr

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Douglas Freeman, Chief Revenue Officer at Crunchr — and Jena's former boss — to explore what it's like to build a revenue team and company culture at a people analytics platform helping HR leaders turn workforce data into real business decisions. Doug shares how a casual 30-minute conversation about revenue strategy led him to Crunchr, and what drew him to the opportunity after years working in HR tech and recognizing the exact problem Crunchr was built to solve. The conversation dives into Crunchr's three core company behaviors — think big, ship small, win together — and the three pillars Doug uses to build his own revenue subculture: discipline, distinctiveness, and desire, including why he deliberately hires people to be themselves rather than conform to a single sales persona. The episode also covers real examples of how Crunchr helps organizations connect disjointed HR data — from predicting retirement waves to diagnosing regrettable turnover — and candid career advice on networking, staying in touch over the long term, and how to actually sell yourself in an interview. What You'll Learn How Crunchr helps organizations unify fragmented HR data into a single source of truthWhat Crunchr's three company behaviors — think big, ship small, win together — mean in practiceHow Doug's three-pillar framework (discipline, distinctiveness, desire) shapes his approach to building a sales teamWhy Doug believes salespeople should be coached within their own personality, not molded into a single moldHow to use "proof points" and concrete stories to stand out in an interviewPractical advice for keeping a professional network alive over years, not just when you need somethingCompany Highlights Industry: People analytics / HR technologyCustomer Base: HR and business leaders at organizations ranging from 1,000 to 75,000+ employees, including multinational companies managing data across dozens of countriesCompany Stage: Founded in 2014 in Amsterdam, ~60 employees, with a second office in BostonCulture: Curious, accountable, and collaborative across a hybrid, multinational teamFocus Areas: People analytics maturity, data trust and security, turnover diagnostics, and HR's growing strategic roleKey Practices & Frameworks Think Big, Ship Small, Win Together: Crunchr's company-wide behavioral framework for balancing ambition with iterative executionDiscipline, Distinctiveness, Desire: Doug's subculture framework for building his revenue team, emphasizing consistency, individuality, and personal growth"Jenify It" Mentality: Encouraging team members to personalize processes within a shared structure, then share results — successes and failures — with the teamProof-Point Interviewing: Coaching candidates to bring concrete stories and results rather than vague claims of skillBuild vs. Buy Guidance: Perspective on why maintaining sensitive people-data infrastructure internally is often harder than the initial buildLong-Term Network Maintenance: A practice of making regular low-stakes introductions and personal check-ins to keep professional relationships genuinely alive over timeTo learn more about Crunchr: Careers Page (they're hiring!) LinkedIn Page Doug's LinkedIn

    Three Pillars of Building a Sales Team with Doug Freeman from Crunchr

  8. Oct 13

    Vacation Stays Are A Core Part of the Job | Working at AvantStay

    In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Reuben Doetsch, Co-Founder and President of AvantStay, to explore what it's like to build culture at a fast-moving, remote-first hospitality company bringing hotel-level consistency to short-term rentals. Reuben shares how frustration with inconsistent short-term rental experiences, combined with his background running a co-living company, led him and his co-founder to build AvantStay into a portfolio of over 3,500 properties across 60 markets. The conversation dives into the company's deliberately flat, global-first hiring philosophy — paying top talent well regardless of location, with no artificial leveling ceilings between onshore and offshore employees — and how that shapes a genuinely unified (not siloed) remote culture. The episode also covers AvantStay's blunt, performance-driven approach to culture, including cutting formal culture programming in favor of real interpersonal connection, a mandate for employees to actively upskill in AI, and an honest acknowledgment that the company's fast-changing, low-structure environment isn't the right fit for everyone — and that's by design. What You'll Learn How AvantStay's "hotel in the home" concept was born out of real frustration with inconsistent short-term rentalsWhy the company deliberately avoids different leveling criteria for offshore versus onshore employeesHow AvantStay builds genuine connection with a globally distributed team through regular in-person gatheringsWhy the company cut formal culture programs in favor of real manager relationships and shared workHow AvantStay's new "Market Enablement Team" was created to solve lagging regional issues with fresh eyesWhy Reuben openly says AvantStay isn't the right fit for everyone, and how that's addressed from the first interviewCompany Highlights Industry: Tech-enabled hospitality (short-term rentals and boutique hotels)Customer Base: Travelers seeking unique, high-quality alternative accommodations, from large group homes to boutique hotelsCompany Stage: 8-year-old company, ~400-450 employees (down from a peak of 800), fully remote with ~200 field-based rolesCulture: Performance-driven, transparent, fast-moving, and intentionally not for everyoneFocus Areas: AI upskilling, global talent equity, acquisition integration, and operational agilityUnique Perks & Programs Vacation-Style Stay Credits: Employees can stay at AvantStay properties in other markets to build firsthand understanding of the businessNo Offshore/Onshore Ceiling: Equal advancement opportunity regardless of location, including senior leadership roles held by fully remote team membersFlexible, Outcome-Based Schedules: Employees can structure their work around their life and location as long as outcomes are metQuarterly In-Person Gatherings: Regular team meetups plus natural gatherings around market and hotel launchesHigh-Trust, Low-Micromanagement Culture: Trust is earned but extended broadly once established, including around scheduling and locationMandatory AI Upskilling: A company-wide expectation that employees actively learn and apply AI tools to remain competitiveTo learn more about AvantStay: Careers Page (they're hiring!) LinkedIn Page Reuben's LinkedIn

    Vacation Stays Are A Core Part of the Job | Working at AvantStay
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4.8
out of 5
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About

Ever wonder how the best companies in the world actually build their culture? Maybe you’re a People leader looking for ideas that work in practice, not just on paper. Or maybe you’re weighing your next career move and want to know what it’s really like inside. Well, you've come to the right place.Each week we meet with talent leaders at companies you’ve heard of - and many organizations you haven’t. Giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the culture that fuels the best companies in the world.

Information

  • Creator
    The Recruit Brands
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    86
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Culture Uncovered
  • Show Website
    Culture Uncovered

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