Hello. I’m a part of a very small design firm that does not have a dedicated HR department, but I’ve worked for larger companies that did have them so I have some HR related experience, just not much in the field of ID. My question: are HR departments a death knell for the a-bureaucratic Product Development Ideal made famous by “Deep Dive” and IDEO? A friend of mine has had tragi-comedic experiences trying to arrange interviews with a number of large, well-known product development firms on both coasts, and it’s laughable how much more reminiscent of Dilbert these episodes are versus the picture of the prototypical flat design organization where people of disparate professional backgrounds stand around a room and slaps sticky notes on the wall. I mean I just have to shake my head and wonder if these supposedly fantastic product development firms handle the hiring process so very poorly (not to mention the very act of communicating with each other as well as the prospective employee), just how capable of great creativity can they be? And how can a firm that continues to project the image of a corporation eschewing titles and choking bureaucracy seem to be so conservative and bureaucratic in actuality? A penny for your thoughts.
mothy