In terms of business operations, there isn't much change. That said, being a publicly traded company brings a lot of scrutiny from the SEC, so the finance, accounting, and legal departments may see changes to their routines. Many companies offer stock options to employees as part of their compensation packages. These options may increase in value when the company IPOs. And if the company didn't have a stock-based compensation system, as a public company it becomes easier to set up and value stock-based incentives, as well as align them with market standards. Lastly, going public raises a firm's profile. This increased visibility may attract additional new talent, and create more career advancement opportunities for existing talent.