Barbara Matthews, Chief People Officer at Remote

Episode SummaryWhat does it take to build a high-performing, values-driven culture across a rapidly scaling global workforce? In this episode of Built by People, host Dave D’Angelo sits down with Barbara Matthews, Chief People Officer at Remote and former HR leader at Google and Stripe. With over two decades in HR, Barbara shares hard-won lessons from the front lines of leadership—starting from a three-week contract at Google to shaping global people strategies for companies with thousands of employees across 85+ countries.Barbara unpacks how a single moment of ethical decision-making early in her career defined her leadership style, why poor management is the silent killer of engagement, and the repeatable HR initiative she swears by: building a culture of no surprises. From performance alignment to manager coaching, she offers a blueprint for HR leaders aiming to build trust, clarity, and long-term impact.Whether you're scaling a team, developing your leadership brand, or exploring how AI is transforming HR, this episode is packed with practical wisdom you can implement today.Key Timestamps[00:51] – Barbara’s 20+ year journey from Google to Remote[03:17] – A defining career moment: speaking up against a weak disciplinary decision[05:28] – Why poor managers can derail employee experience—and how to fix it[08:00] – How Barbara helped shape manager development at Stripe[09:57] – The HR playbook she’s repeated across companies: culture of no surprises[12:34] – A tactical first step to build performance clarity across teams[12:56] – The two biggest shifts HR leaders must prepare for in the next 5 years[14:27] – Barbara’s top advice: back yourself and say yes to opportunityActionable TakeawaysCreate a “culture of no surprises” to boost performance clarity and trustInvest deeply in manager development—strong managers drive team successUse performance calibration data to uncover misalignment earlyCoach managers in real time with roundtables, cohort coaching, and feedback loopsIntegrate AI tools thoughtfully to free up bandwidth for strategic HR workDocument flexible work norms if you want to attract and retain top global talentOur SponsorPrevi is an employer network that provides private pricing for employees. Joining the Previ network allows employees to save on necessities they already pay for, such as cell phone service and insurance. Previ saves the average employee $2,200/year. ⁠Join at no cost to the company.⁠