OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

Choosing an Organization Worksheet

Judy Garb

1/12/2024

Dr. Joy D’Angelo

 1) Name and describe your organization:

Getaround: Navigating Recruitment Challenges in a Tech-Driven Car Sharing Marketplace

Getaround, a trailblazer in the car-sharing industry, offers a unique online marketplace that has
significantly impacted how people rent and share vehicles. Founded in 2009, Getaround has
evolved into a key player in the tech-driven transportation sector. They have established
themselves as an innovative online marketplace that redefines vehicle rental. Founded in 2009,
this platform seamlessly connects Hosts—individuals who share their personal vehicles—and
Guests, leveraging Getaround's mobile app or website for convenient car booking and
unlocking. This approach eliminates the need for physical key exchanges, thereby offering a
tech-driven solution to modern transportation challenges. With its commitment to providing a
100% digital experience, Getaround has grown to serve over 6 million users, underlining its
significant impact and reach in the car-sharing market. The company’s success is anchored in its
mission to enhance environmental sustainability and create economic opportunities through its
peer-to-peer marketplace

As a Lead Technical Recruiting Consultant, my six-month tenure at Getaround was characterized

by a focused mandate. Tasked with the recruitment of key technical positions, including Project
Managers, Frontend Engineers, and Engineering Managers, my role was pivotal in scaling the
product team's capabilities and expertise. In the rapidly evolving and competitive tech
landscape, our contributions were instrumental in shaping hiring the team that would drive
Getaround's innovative solutions and growth in the car-sharing market.

Situation Overview: Product Team Recruitment

The recruitment drive focused on the Product Team, where I, along with another recruiter,
aimed to fill three distinct Product Manager roles. This process involved close collaboration with
four Group Product Managers (GPMs) across various teams. At the onset, the hiring stages
included the following; resume screening, two technical screens, an intensive take-home
assessment (lasting 6 hours), and a comprehensive two-round onsite interview process.

During my recruitment efforts at Getaround, I encountered several challenges that required

careful navigation and strategic solutions.

One significant challenge was the misalignment of skill set expectations among the Group
Product Managers (GPMs). Each GPM had a unique perspective on what skills were necessary
for their teams, leading to inconsistencies in the technical screening process. Candidates often
passed the first technical screen but then failed the second, reflecting these varied criteria.
Another major obstacle was scheduling complexity. The packed schedules of the hiring team
members made it difficult to coordinate interviews, often leading to delays in the recruitment
process.

Cross-team evaluation also presented its own set of challenges. During the onsite interview
phase, evaluators from diverse teams such as design, engineering, and analytics were involved,
each with their own set of expectations. The lack of clear, role-specific criteria often led to
confusion and inconsistency in evaluating candidates.

Furthermore, the lengthy take-home challenge, which required 4-6 hours of commitment,
resulted in a high dropout rate among candidates. The extensive time demand of this
assessment phase was a barrier for many potential hires, impacting our ability to maintain a
robust candidate pipeline.

Navigating these challenges required a thoughtful approach, balancing the needs and
expectations of various stakeholders while ensuring a smooth and efficient recruitment process.

2) Describe how the structure of the organization influenced the situation.

At Getaround, the centralized decision-making structure under the CTO's leadership was a
significant factor in recruitment challenges. The CTO's dominant role and intimidating presence
created a top-down communication barrier, leading to an environment of uncertainty and
inconsistency. This centralized control directly impacted the recruitment process, as there was a
lack of clear direction from the CTO regarding the Product Manager roles. This ambiguity led to
misalignments among Group Product Managers in terms of the skill sets required for these
positions, complicating the creation of a coherent recruitment strategy.

Additionally, the Product Managers, focusing primarily on their individual team needs, paid less
attention to the overall organizational requirements. Their siloed approach resulted in a lack of
collaboration, exacerbating the difficulty in identifying the appropriate skill levels and expertise
needed across the product team. This disjointed effort hindered the development of a unified
approach to hiring.

While centralization can be effective in certain startup scenarios, it posed significant barriers to
scaling the team effectively at Getaround. This situation highlights the importance of
considering structural frameworks in organizational planning and highlights the potential pitfalls
of overly centralized decision-making. The lack of clear, unified direction from the top echelons
of management, combined with the individualistic focus of departmental leaders, illustrates the
complex challenges in aligning recruitment with broader organizational objectives.
 3) Recommend how you would use structure for an alternative course of action regarding
your case.
To address the challenges we faced, a restructuring of the decision-making process could have
been highly beneficial. As mentioned in (Bolman & Deal, 2021), “organizations typically embark
on restructuring when they feel compelled to respond to major problems or opportunities”. In
Getaround’s case, implementing a more decentralized approach would have empowered the
Product Managers and other team leaders, allowing them to make decisions more
autonomously. This shift would require clear communication of overarching goals and
expectations from the CTO, but with less direct intervention in day-to-day decision-making. Such
a structure would encourage collaboration among Product Managers, promoting a more
cohesive approach to recruitment and team development.

In the second step, establishing cross-functional teams for recruitment could be advantageous.
These teams, comprising members from various departments, would work together to define
role requirements and evaluate candidates. This collaborative approach would ensure that
recruitment strategies align with the needs of all departments, thereby enhancing the overall
effectiveness of the process. Furthermore, regular feedback sessions with the CTO would
maintain alignment with broader organizational goals, while still allowing for the flexibility and
creativity needed in a dynamic startup environment.

Lastly, clear and consistent communication channels would need to be established to ensure
that all team members are aware of their roles and responsibilities in the recruitment process.
This approach would also facilitate a better understanding of the company's goals, leading to
more effective hiring decisions that support Getaround's strategic objectives.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what I have learned about
this frame.
Reflecting on the structural frame and my experience at Getaround, I would approach future
roles with a heightened awareness of organizational structure and its implications. First, I would
advocate for a more inclusive decision-making process. This means ensuring that decisions,
particularly those about recruitment, involve a wider range of perspectives, not just those of
high-ranking executives. This approach would help mitigate the issues of misalignment and lack
of clarity that we encountered.

Additionally, I would place greater emphasis on establishing clear communication channels

throughout the organization. Effective communication is key to ensuring that all team members,
regardless of their position, understand their roles, responsibilities, and the company's broader
goals. This would help in aligning individual objectives with organizational objectives, adhering
to a more cohesive and collaborative work environment.

Finally, I would encourage the development of cross-functional teams for critical tasks like
recruitment. These teams would bring together diverse skill sets and viewpoints about what
roles are needed and what is lacking to help fill in the gaps. This, in turn, would facilitate a more
balanced and comprehensive decision-making process. Such an approach could prevent the
individualized mentality that was prevalent at Getaround and ensure that departmental needs
do not overshadow organizational goals.

References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (7th
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass