Why All Legal Problems Are People Problems

Alexandra operates on the principle that "all legal problems are people problems," which led her to combine both functions under one leadership role. This integration allows her to address cultural and interpersonal issues before they become legal concerns. By having employment law expertise embedded in people strategy, she can design policies, performance management, and conflict resolution frameworks that prevent escalation. This dual-hat approach also delivers cost efficiency—one C-suite salary instead of two—while creating faster decision-making and more cohesive risk management across the organization.

ThirdLove requires every employee to maintain an Individual Employee Plan (IEP) regardless of whether they're up for promotion or where they are in their career trajectory. Alexandra personally reviews all IEPs and has conversations about long-term strategy and planning with employees. This systematic approach ensures continuous development discussions happen proactively rather than reactively. The framework keeps career growth top of mind organizationally and addresses the post-COVID employee priority shift toward learning opportunities over perks and social events.

Because ThirdLove operates with high cross-functional collaboration, their interview process extends beyond direct team members. Candidates meet people from completely different business areas to assess collaborative fit across the organization. While this creates a longer interview timeline than typical processes, it ensures new hires can work effectively across departments. This approach frontloads culture fit assessment and reduces mismatches that only surface after someone starts working cross-functionally.

ThirdLove maintains core in-office days (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) specifically because they're a product-driven company where teams need to touch, feel, and discuss physical products together. This targeted approach recognizes that certain work requires in-person collaboration while other functions can operate remotely. They support both US-based and international remote employees, requiring everyone to be adept at both in-person and virtual collaboration. This model balances operational needs with flexibility rather than applying one-size-fits-all remote policies.

Based on consistent employee survey feedback, ThirdLove shifted away from traditional happy hours and large company events. Instead, they implement short, interactive activities—30-minute projects like making friendship bracelets for cancer patients or quick food gatherings. This acknowledges post-COVID behavioral shifts where employees, particularly younger workers and those with families, prioritize going home over extended social commitments. The strategy maintains connection without demanding significant time investment outside core work hours.

Rather than prescribing specific tools, Alexandra encourages employees to experiment with AI tools (both general platforms like ChatGPT/Gemini and function-specific solutions) to improve job efficiency. She provides education on risks—particularly avoiding tools that train on company data—but maintains that being too risk-averse prevents innovation leadership. This balanced approach empowers employees to find tools that work for their specific roles while maintaining necessary security boundaries. The strategy positions the organization to adapt quickly to emerging technologies rather than lagging behind due to overly cautious policies.

ThirdLove maintains clear promotion paths and invests in internal development, but Alexandra acknowledges when external expertise is necessary—particularly for disruptive changes like AI capabilities. Rather than forcing internal-only promotion policies, she takes a dual approach: build strong development systems for existing talent while recognizing when the organization needs skills that don't exist internally. This pragmatic framework ensures the company can both retain and develop current employees while accessing specialized expertise when market shifts demand new capabilities.