The HR exec who helped build Netflix into a $161 billion juggernaut has some harsh advice for tech companies and their employees

Greg Sandoval/Business Insider

Patty McCord, Netflix's former chief talent officer

• At a time when Uber is weathering a new round of HR troubles, and Google is seeing employee revolts, Patty McCord's advice seems more pertinent than ever.
• McCord is Netflix's former chief talent officer - the person who helped hire Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos, who has become one of Hollywood's most powerful figures.
• She says HR execs have to stop worrying about lavish employee perks, and start thinking more about how they can make a difference to the bottom line - just like every other department.
• Asked about handling the employee revolt at Google, McCord says "I might go: 'okay, quit.'"

If the events of the past couple of years have taught us anything, it's that if company leaders treat human resources as an afterthought, then they risk running into troubles like those of Uber.

Patty McCord - former Netflix chief talent officer, and the co-architect of the streaming video company's famous corporate culture policy - has some thoughts on the proper way to run an HR department.

Had McCord not helped Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings piece together his original management team, we might all still be standing in line to rent movies. Or worse. We might still be forking over late fees.

During her 14 years there, Netflix's management team included Barry McCarthy, now Spotify's CFO, and Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer and one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. These are some of the people who helped Netflix prevail over the much larger movie distributor, Blockbuster.

Since departing Netflix in 2012, McCord has become a sort of sage for startup founders and human resources execs, coming in as a consultant. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg turned McCord's famous Netflix culture document into a sacred text for startups when she said it "may well be the most important document ever to come out of the Valley."

In her book, "Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility" McCord has included a lot of advice that seems more pertinent than ever.

In two recent interviews with Business Insider, McCord speaks frankly about the lack of innovation in Silicon Valley HR departments, and the need to sometimes say 'no' to employees. She also offers some encouragement and advice to startup founders and job seekers.

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