Managing 450+ Across Warehouses & Remote Teams w/ Hive’s Charlotte Theiß

Charlotte Theiß, People Lead at Hive, has built a dual-world people strategy that successfully manages both warehouse operations teams and distributed tech talent across seven European locations. As Hive scaled from 30 to 450+ employees, Charlotte developed specialized people teams and frameworks that acknowledge the fundamentally different needs of fulfillment associates and office workers while maintaining one unified culture. Her approach to sustainable growth, skills-based hiring, and meritocratic performance management has enabled Hive to transition from "do more with less" startup culture to a mature organization focused on development and ownership without losing its core identity. Topics Discussed Building specialized people teams for warehouse operations vs. tech talent Scaling culture sustainably through value evolution and meritocratic decision-making Implementing skills-based hiring over traditional credential requirements Creating internal mobility pathways that enable rapid career progression Transitioning from hiring manager-led recruitment to centralized talent acquisition Balancing on-site collaboration needs with distributed team management Using AI tools like Notion AI for internal knowledge management and documentation Developing feedback culture that drives both individual and organizational growth