Built on Trust

In this episode of REWORK, Kimberly Rhodes and David Heinemeier Hansson discuss building a high-trust organization, prompted by customer inquiries about restricting user actions in Basecamp. David explains that trust is cultivated through company culture and hiring practices, emphasizing that while occasional trust breaches occur, the potential benefits outweigh the risks. They differentiate between general trust and critical data access, where multi-layered security measures are implemented, using the example of encrypted emails in Hey. The conversation extends to expense policies, advocating for a high degree of employee autonomy and revisiting expenses afterward rather than imposing preemptive restrictions. They also address remote work, highlighting the importance of managers evaluating work quality and pace over mere time spent, and the role of trust in fostering a more adult and engaging work environment. The discussion concludes on hiring practices, noting the importance of skills-based assessments over background checks in identifying trustworthy individuals.