Despite changes, Uber still struggling

SAN FRANCISCO — The day after he became chief executive of Uber almost one year ago, Dara Khosrowshahi met with company employees. While he introduced himself, and talked about what he hoped Uber could accomplish, he also didn’t mince words about the reality facing the ride-sharing giant.

“We’re in a battle here and I think everybody knows it,” Khosrowshahi said during the meeting. “And right now Uber is in some trouble as far as public perception goes.”

Today that battle is taking on signs of a war of attrition.

In his 11 months since joining Uber, Khosrowshahi has made notable efforts to clean up the company’s reputation as a haven of bro culture, where reports of workplace harassment and discrimination were commonplace. But the “new” Uber has also taken some painful steps backwards, as situations involving company executives continue to hamper its internal and public recovery.

As part of his efforts to put a new face on Uber, Khosrowshahi has appeared in television ads to emphasize the company’s commitment to respect for its employees and customers.

But a series of incidents in July alone illustrates how much work Uber still faces to repair its public image.

Liane Hornsey, Uber’s head of human resources, stepped down earlier this month after reports that she had dismissed looking into some cases of reported racial discrimination at the company.

On the heels of Hornsey’s departure, Chief Operating Officer Barney Harford became the target of internal company complaints after he made remarks about women and minorities, including his questioning of an Uber ad that featured a mixed-race couple. Harford is still with Uber.

In a statement, Khosrowshahi admitted that the company continues to stumble in attempts to revamp itself.

“Cultures are not built or rebuilt overnight. People learn, companies learn, CEOs learn,” Khosrowshahi said. “We’ll make mistakes along the way, but one thing is certain: we will improve, substantially.” And last week, The New

York Times reported that Uber is under federal investigation for discriminating against women in hiring and pay levels.

“The work is never going to be done,” said Uber spokesman MoMo Zhou. “We want to be on an upward trajectory and we want people to want to stay at Uber. But, there are so many things we can be doing better.”

“It would behoove them to think of themselves not as young anymore. They need to get over themselves if they think they are small,” said Kellie McElhaney, a professor and founder of the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley Haas School of Business.