With a Fresh Approach to Wellness, Alteryx Is Ready to Evolve Alongside Its People

Alteryx Chief People Officer L. David Kingsley doesn’t believe in a “new normal,” at least not when it comes to the workplace environment. 

Instead, he uses the term “now normal” to rethink the professional landscape. “The relationship between employers and workers has changed,” Kingsley said. “I don’t know if there’s ever going to be a time when we say, ‘OK, this is all over — everybody back to the way things were.’”

According to Kingsley, acknowledging this ongoing shift is what urged Alteryx to enhance its benefits package with three new additions: a 10 percent base salary increase; a companywide, week-long shutdown; and flexible time off. These perks are intended to meet the needs of an evolving workforce, granting the company’s employees a greater sense of empowerment and trust. 

For Vice President of Total Rewards Todd Leyte-Vidal, a leadership team that makes a concerted effort to protect employees’ psychological well-being is crucial to building an organization that continually refines its approach to wellness. 

“These efforts tie into the overall picture of what our ‘now normal’ is as we move forward,” he said. “Things will continue to change, and we need to ensure we evolve along with them.” 

In truth, flexibility and transformation can be found in abundance across Alteryx. As the company continues to build out its global employee base, the organization is prepared to meet the needs of a fresh class of new hires from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, which is why the organization isn’t taking a one-size-fits-all approach to wellness.  

Kingsley said the company’s diverse selection of perks enables team members to choose which areas of their lives they wish to invest in. “We’re enabling our employees to take advantage of our benefits in ways that are most meaningful to them and those they care for and care about,” he said. 

Below, Kingsley, Leyte-Vidal and Education Technical Manager Bhumika Patel describe the importance of Alteryx’s enhanced benefits package and how the company’s approach to its perks positively impact both its employees and business potential. 

How do Alteryx’s new benefits fit into the company’s overall wellness strategy?

Kingsley: A significant part of our strategy has been to normalize topics and make them easier to discuss. The pandemic has forced all of us to adjust our daily lives and has taken a toll on everyone. As we enter this next phase of the “now normal,” the company has done a great job saying, “It’s not only OK, but critical to bring the emotional part of yourself to work.” We often talk about diversity, equity and inclusion and the importance of bringing our authentic selves to work, and this idea also relates to mental health. We’ve done a great job of not only acknowledging psychological wellness, but welcoming it into the organization and recognizing it as a strength. We offer an environment in which we can check in with each other or show up to meetings and say, “Hey team, I’m really struggling today, and I’m going to need your help.” And our teammates will say, “Thank you for sharing that,” and will offer their support. This is a very special dimension of our culture.  

Earlier in my career, I was often faced with the expectation to “soldier on” and show no weakness. It felt like there was a competition over who got the least amount of sleep. In contrast, some of our people are using the Headspace app that we offer or one of the many health tracking wearable devices out there to compete in a friendly and supportive way to see who is getting better sleep and taking the time to exercise and recover physically, mentally and emotionally. We’re supporting each other in our efforts to live a healthy lifestyle for ourselves, our families and our teams. We’re changing the game, and that’s important for each of us and our culture as a whole. 

Patel: I’ve always loved Alteryx’s culture, and these benefits reveal the level of care and thoughtfulness that the company puts into creating a better life for its employees. Work-life balance is important, yet the work I do here doesn’t feel like a job for me. I’m really passionate about what I do, and I have fun every day. Working for a company that cares as much about my well-being and mental health as I do is both gratifying and encouraging, and I know my peers feel the same way. I’ve honestly had days during which I’ve struggled mentally, and it’s great to know I have support and resources here to help me cope.

How does an enhanced benefits package reflect the company’s commitment to its people?

Leyte-Vidal: Simply put, Alteryx is a place that cares. Since joining the team about three and a half months ago, I’ve seen the entire leadership team show that they care about their employees, and this has strengthened teammates’ connections with each other. While this is reflected in our benefits package, it also comes across in the way teammates communicate, in the sense that we express interest in each other’s lives. When I first joined, I was impressed by the breadth of offerings that were already in place for a company of Alteryx’s size, and we’re going to continue to improve these perks as the employee population grows. This company isn’t resting on its laurels regarding the changes that have already been made. We all recognize we need to evolve as we scale and strive to reach the next level. 

Patel: For me, it’s been especially important to have honest conversations with my leaders. I know I can rely on our HR team or my manager for support and seek solutions to my problems. At previous employers, it wasn’t easy to have difficult discussions or build relationships with peers. This focus on connection amplifies Alteryx’s culture and makes it a truly special place to work. 

Which new benefit are you most excited about?

Patel: I love all of the new benefits that we have, yet I especially appreciate the 10 percent salary increase. At the beginning of the year, I signed a lease on my own place for the first time. Receiving the salary adjustment gave me the confidence to take this next step in my personal journey. It felt like the company was looking out for me. 

Leyte-Vidal: While having flexible time off is great, I was most excited about the implementation of the companywide, week-long shutdown, which occurred in February this year. Given the volume of work that my teammates put into closing a record quarter at the end of 2021, I’m glad they were able to unwind. 

From a business perspective, how do you think bolstering the company’s wellness strategy will drive success?

Leyte-Vidal: Studies show that engaged employees produce more from a sales capacity perspective. While studies simply serve as data points that bolster our argument or support our position, I’ve found this to be entirely true in our case. As we continue to grow our overall wellness program, I want to see these changes enhance our relationship with our employees by strengthening the bonds that exist among us. This feeling of engagement will be revealed in employees’ daily work, strengthening both relationships and the overall collaboration that goes into creating programs and projects. As we continue to provide improved perks, the relationships will continue to grow. This will ultimately boost business performance, as well as engagement and retention rates. 

“Working for a company that cares as much about my well-being and mental health as I do is both gratifying and encouraging.”

Kingsley: There’s an analogy I use to describe creating a space where people can show up as their true selves and do their best work. For those of us who use two hands to type on our computers, imagine if someone asked you to use only one hand. You would probably work more slowly, feel frustrated and make more mistakes. Yes, you would probably make it through the day, but it would be much harder on you, and that would show up in your engagement levels and work quality. In essence, when we ask our employees to leave a part of themselves at home when they show up to work, it’s the equivalent of asking them to try and type with one hand. They can do it, but it’s not productive, and it’s not a situation in which people will want to stay for a long time. People will want to stay at a place where they can bring their whole self to work and, figuratively speaking, use both hands on the keyboard. 

I want everyone at Alteryx to feel like they’re empowered to do their best work and can fully engage all of their capabilities, and this involves having a culture — and benefits that support it — that matter to our people. This is the way in which we’ve shown up for our people in the past, how we do it today and how we always will.