Really, Uber. I tried to stand strong against the #DeleteUber campaign earlier this year. Then, I stayed loyal, hoping that there was no way that your HR staff could have ignored years of harassment complaints. I assumed there must be more to that story. And yes, I will admit, I was optimistic when you purportedly took the complaints seriously, vowing to do better and hiring an external team to audit and recommend change.
Then last week, we read with horror the 2013 arrogant, immature and misguided “before party” memo, showing your CEO’s obvious early irreverence to rules. I would like to think that even on the occasions when we let our hair down and get crazy at work, we would know better than to have sent something like this in writing. I can understand your adolescent need to thumb your nose at political correctness and raise your middle finger at society’s need to strip the fun out of our otherwise innocent act of blowing off steam. After all, you did recommend people get consent, right? But in writing? Really?
So now, after the company’s management shakeup, and promises to institute make-needed culture changes, you show that you still just don’t get it. You go and hire someone as impressive as Wan Ling Martello of Nestlé onto your Board while allowing the media to tout her as “another female” with references to Martello as “Uber’s third high-profile female hire” in a week as the tech firm tries to shed its macho culture?
She is amazing and she is female. It’s not that odd. If you want to change your ways, consider her an accomplished executive, and stop the references to her sex. The fact that you needed to consciously work to bring on strong women already speaks volumes. I’d stop playing up that fact, if I were you. But I’m uber thankful that I don’t need that lesson.
