Cloaks off: The ‘Director of People’ perspective with Matt Moralo Langan

Welcome to Cloaks off, our new series that takes you behind the scenes at TheyDo — and introduces you to the remarkable people shaping our culture and success. This week, we’re catching up with our Director of People, Matt Moralo Langan, dialing in from Dublin, Ireland.

From Atlassian to Airbnb and Personio, Matt has built his career in high-growth tech. At TheyDo, he’s helping to build something extraordinary: A remote-first company culture that people celebrate and enjoy. 

Here’s how our conversation unfolded:

Could you tell us a bit about your background and role?

Hi, I’m Matt! I lead the People Team at TheyDo. I’ve spent my career working with fast-growing software companies, primarily office-based. The pandemic taught us that you can be just as successful working in a remote environment. Since then, I’ve become passionate about building high-performing remote-first cultures that feel authentically connected.

At TheyDo, my team and I focus on hiring exceptional talent, doing everything we can to engage, develop, and retain them. Our mission is to make TheyDo the best company our people have ever worked for.

You joined TheyDo in January 2023, when the team consisted of just 20 people. Now you’re close to 90. What’s changed?

A lot has changed, honestly. When I joined, it was about getting the basics right—building out hiring, defining our values, setting up the employee lifecycle in a remote-first way. That kind of groundwork.

Now, with nearly 90 people, things have shifted. Our roles have become more strategic. We're thinking about how our People initiatives support the business, how we help managers grow with scalable tools and frameworks, and how we tackle things like org design, performance, and engagement at scale.

It’s gone from building the foundations to shaping and enabling the culture as we grow.

How do you make sure your People strategy stays aligned with the company’s growth?

For us, the People strategy isn’t something off to the side; it is a growth lever. So we make sure we’re involved early in business planning, working closely with leaders to understand their goals and challenges.

We use data from hiring, performance, and engagement to help prioritize where we focus. It’s always a mix of planning ahead and staying flexible. We regularly ask ourselves, “What does the business need next?” and “How can we help us get there faster and more sustainably?”

How do you think about building culture in a remote-first company?

To me, culture is what people actually experience on a day-to-day basis. It’s how people work, how they collaborate, and how they feel. So culture is not just the job of the founders or people leaders. It’s something we all co-create.

I think of TheyDo as a community. It’s a special place, and we try to weave our values into everything—from how we hire and onboard, to how we give feedback and praise.

We also make space for connection, whether that’s asynchronous or in-person, multiple times a year. We keep a close eye on how people are feeling through engagement data and open conversations, and take action to ensure our team feels heard and supported.

What’s one thing you think sets TheyDo’s People function apart?

I’d say we approach things in a manner similar to how Product Managers do. Because of our product, we’re used to thinking in journeys, so that’s how we think about the employee experience, too.

We design, test, and tweak based on feedback and what the data tells us. We try to make every part of the journey clear, consistent, and meaningful, so people can do great work and feel genuinely connected to what we’re building together.

What’s something about TheyDo’s culture that makes you proud?

I’m proud of how safe and inclusive it feels. Our team is made up of more than thirty nationalities across almost thirty countries. Despite that geographic spread, it really feels like people can be themselves.

We encourage every team member to challenge ideas, speak up, or share their concerns. Our most recent engagement survey, which was anonymous, reaffirmed this. And when we meet up in person, it doesn’t feel like meeting coworkers. It feels like a reunion.

That kind of openness builds trust, leads to better decisions, and helps us grow faster as a team. It’s something we’re intentional about protecting as we scale.

What’s a project you’re excited about right now?

We’ve just rolled out 15Five into our day-to-day. Weekly pulse checks, 1:1s, growth-focused goals—all of it gives us a clearer picture of how people are feeling and how our leaders are doing. It helps us spot patterns early, support people more proactively, and track how we’re doing over time. I’m excited to see how it evolves.

What tools or habits help you stay organized and energized?

I’d be lost without structure! I plan my week in advance using my calendar, and make good use of our “No Meeting Wednesdays.” They help immensely to provide additional focus time.

I also use my Gmail inbox as a kind of rolling to-do list, archiving tasks throughout the day. Tools like Gather, Slack, Notion, 15Five—and, of course, TheyDo—help me stay organized and connected to what’s going on.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

In the 2000s, I worked part-time during my studies as a video games journalist for IGN.com and the Irish PlayStation Magazine.

It all started with a fan website I co-created with a developer in the U.S. A few years later, we had a remote team working together across Europe and the States. Looking back, it was probably my first glimpse into how effective remote work could be.

Any books, podcasts, or resources you’d recommend to others working in People & Culture?

Yeah—Scaling Through Chaos gave me a lot of perspective on how founders think about scaling. It really helped me understand their priorities and what they’re solving for.

I also like The People Factor podcast. It’s a mix of interviews with HR and talent leaders, as well as founders, sharing how they’re building their companies.

And GitLab’s open-source handbook is a goldmine if you’re working in async-first environments.

On the academic side, I did a Master’s in Human Resource Management a few years back. That gave me a solid foundation in things like talent development, total rewards, and employment law. It sharpened my critical thinking and ability to align people practices with business goals. I’d highly recommend a similar course to anyone interested in HR.