If the most exciting thing about your perks and benefits package is how many days off you get, then your company is doing something wrong. The perks and benefits a company selects can and should serve as a tangible representation of its culture. For example, at corporate travel SaaS platform Spotnana, a pillar of the company’s culture is its commitment to employee wellbeing and growth, which are reflected in perks like quarterly wellness days off and an Udemy subscription.
We spoke with nine tech leaders about their company’s perks and benefits packages — including their new offerings for 2023 — and how they serve as a reflection of their unique cultures.
Spotnana has developed a Travel-as-a-Service Platform designed to simplify the world of corporate travel. The platform brings businesses, travel management companies and airlines, hotel operators and car rental companies together in one place to cut costs and increase collaboration and personalization.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“At Spotnana, employee wellbeing and growth are extremely important, as evidenced by our benefits,” said Saumya Balasubramanian, senior director of engineering, data. “In addition to standard benefits such as a 401(k) match, Spotnana also offers pet insurance, mental wellbeing sessions and a wellness day off every quarter. While I am grateful for all of these benefits, my personal favorite is the Udemy course offerings for employees. A company that makes growth and learning a part of who we are and what we do is definitely thinking beyond the here and now for their employees.”
“Employees build our company, and one of the things we want to do in return is provide them with robust, comprehensive benefits.”
Spotnana’s perks at a glance:
“We believe that employees should not worry about access or coverage for their medical needs,” said VP of People Jess Bartlett. “Employees build our company, and one of the things we want to do in return is provide them with robust, comprehensive benefits. Supporting the whole person through every stage of life allows them to be their best both professionally and personally. Our benefits program is based on these guiding principles, and highlights include fully paid medical, dental and vision insurance for employees. Spotnana covers 100 percent of employee premiums and provides coverage from day one.
“We also offer generous time off, with up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, quarterly recharge days, 20 vacation days, plus company holidays and an end-of-year company shutdown. Financially, we provide a 401(k) match of up to 4 percent of compensation and equity in the form of stock options. Also, a unique benefit to working in our industry is membership to the International Airlines Travel Agent Network, which provides employees with travel perks and discounts.”
Hotel companies, airlines and tourist attraction operators use Sojern’s travel marketing platform to book more rooms and seats and to sell more tickets. Sojern operates at scale across multiple channels to enable companies to meet travelers wherever they are and leverages artificial intelligence to ensure marketers get the most out of their budgets.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“The most important perks we offer are centered around our core values,” said Senior Director of Engineering Rakesh Rao. “We have an amazing employee-oriented culture that is respectful and inspiring with an unlimited opportunity to work with cutting-edge tools on cutting-edge technology. Our employee base is very inclusive and we have people from all walks of life, religions, cultures and orientations. We have a DEI council and support groups across all of our different locations and are very proud to celebrate the breadth of this diversity in our company!
“We offer great benefits to all our employees, beginning with supporting remote employees and leaning into hybrid work culture. One of our unique benefits is Flexi Fridays, which in addition to enabling employees to end the work day early, are also no-meeting days, too. Another unique benefit is up to three fully paid nights at hotels where Sojern has an office. We truly embrace the travel spirit and encourage employees to connect with fellow Sojernistas across the globe.
“We actively invest in our employees and believe in continuous learning. Every employee is allocated a certain budget each year to help upgrade and polish their competencies through attending conferences, trainings and online courses. Each employee also has access to LinkedIn Learning to help uplevel their skill set. We allow for mobility and pay attention to the interests and growth aspirations of our team members.”
“The most important perks we offer are centered around our core values.”
Sojern’s perks at a glance:
- Flexi-Fridays: No internal meetings and shut down at noon every Friday
- Paid Time Off: Flexible PTO (we are a travel company, after all!)
- Travel Perks: IATA membership and “hotel stay” benefit covering up to 3 nights per year when traveling near a Sojern office
- Wellbeing: We take a whole-person approach to your wellness with Spring Health mental health benefits, a Wellness Coach, and Origin financial planning benefits
- Paid Parental Leave: 16 weeks pay for birthing parents and 12 weeks pay for non-birthing parents, beginning the day of joining until the child's first birthday.
Carbon Robotics is an agricultural robotics startup that builds innovative agricultural tools that empower farmers to operate more efficiently. The company launched its first product, the Autonomous LaserWeeder, in April 2021.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“Carbon Robotics understands that our strength lies in our employees, and we take a holistic approach to supporting the ‘whole human,’” said VP of Program Management Jane Vail. “Beyond the standard snacks, lunches and employee events, we pay 100 percent for insurance for employees and their families. I’ve never worked anywhere that provided that level of commitment to taking care of immediate team members and their tribe.
“Our environment is ultimately our strength, though. It sounds almost weird to say, but we foster a workplace where it’s okay to fail. When a person isn’t always constrained by having to be right or perfect, the level and pace of innovation goes through the roof. Carbon has the trifecta: passionate, intelligent people; transformational technology; and the mission. What the LaserWeeder enables in our food chain impacts every single person on Earth, and it’s exciting to meaningfully contribute to that. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the Carbon team.”
“Carbon Robotics understands that our strength lies in our employees, and we take a holistic approach to supporting the ‘whole human.”
Carbon Robotic’s perks at a glance:
- Pre-IPO stock options
- Generous PTO and holidays
- 401(k) program
- Startup culture
Hivemind Capital is a venture capital firm focused on cryptocurrency, blockchain and digital asset companies. Its portfolio includes Napster, e-sports organization Fnatic and blockchain developer Helium.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“When joining Hivemind Capital, new employees will be entering a fun, fast-paced environment with people who work hard while looking out for each other,” said COO and Managing Partner Lee Smallwood. “The crypto space is fast-moving and volatile, and we want to make sure our employees know we have their backs. One of the most notable ways we do this is by offering fully free health insurance, meaning zero contribution from employees.
“In 2023, we will be providing further development opportunities, such as support for professional training courses, conference attendance opportunities, quarterly team offsites and other perks that enhance overall work-life balance. By prioritizing the wellbeing and happiness of our team, we are able to foster a positive and productive work culture and support our employees in achieving their full potential. This in turn enables us to drive the success of the company and achieve our business goals.”
“By prioritizing the wellbeing and happiness of our team, we are able to foster a positive and productive work culture.”
Hivemind Capital’s perks at a glance:
- Flexible PTO with a mandatory minimum of one week off every six months
- Generous parental leave
- Hybrid working with office in midtown south Manhattan
- 401(k)
- FSA, DCA and pre-tax commuter benefits
Technossus is an enterprise consulting and software development company whose focuses include cloud computing, data and analytics, and digital optimization strategy. Technossus works with companies in the aerospace, healthcare and life sciences, and financial services industries.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“For me, the core of what I appreciate most about Technossus centers around two things: trust and personal growth,” said Head of HR Anna Almquist. “Trust is exhibited in how our culture practices mixing autonomy and teamwork at the right level and at the right moment throughout the company. We put our trust in people to deliver on their commitments without micro-managing them but also make sure we are coordinating as a team to maximize what we deliver and ensure people feel supported.
“Closely behind that it is our commitment to growing our people, both in their career ambitions and skills. All our employees have a career advisor who helps them to envision the path they want to take through their careers — in balance with their lives — and from that plan we provide training and engagement opportunities to grow in the direction that excites them most.”
“All our employees have a career advisor who helps them to envision the path they want to take through their careers — in balance with their lives.”
Technossus’ perks at a glance:
- Training stipend to skill up
- Flexible PTO
- Strengths coaching
- Mentoring
AddShoppers is an e-commerce company focused on bringing merchants and shoppers together through great deals and brand loyalty. Their products, SafeOpt and Minty.com, were created to delight shoppers while saving them time and money through exclusive discounts and offers.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“We show appreciation for our employees and reinforce our values through a variety of benefits, including discretionary time off, excellent insurance coverage, and most importantly, an emphasis on work-life balance,” said Human Resources Business Partner Nicole Pedrotty. “We have an extremely iterative and fast-paced culture. We look for the best way to serve our customers, grow our employees, and exceed our goals.”
“We have scaled the product and team behind revenue growth to responsibly deliver a best-in-class product with an A-plus team,” said Talent Manager Katy Grubbs. “This allows us to prioritize the technology platforms we provide for our remote team to collaborate on, how we can reward our employees, and the experience we can give them to build their skill sets, personally and professionally.”
“We have an extremely iterative and fast-paced culture.”
AddShoppers’ perks at a glance:
- Remote work
- Comprehensive employee assistance program, including the employee discount program WorkPerks and Spring Health, a mental wellness platform
- Bonusly reward system
- 401(k) match
- 100-percent coverage for employee medical, vision and dental premiums
Truehold is a real estate company specializing in sale-leasebacks. Instead of moving out, sellers who work with Truehold cash in their equity and remain at home, paying rent to the company, which provides maintenance and covers property taxes and insurance.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“In Truehold’s tech organization, we value each of our teammates, and I know I’m doing right by them when we can use resources to reinvest in their talent,” said VP of Engineering Greg Matthews. “With mentorship and a per-person training budget, we are focused not just on employees delivering results but also getting deep satisfaction from their careers. I’ve spent over 20 years in technology at notable real estate companies across the United States and have seen firsthand how really loving where you work makes you a better teammate and creates a better product.
“As a young startup, our first priority has been to secure very strong foundational benefits so that as we grow, our employees feel supported under any circumstance. On top of that, we are constantly considering adding various benefits and perks guided by our culture surveys. Last year, we improved our medical coverage options and added a 401(k) match. In 2023, we added a formal parental leave program and kicked off manager training.”
“I’ve spent over 20 years in technology and have seen firsthand how really loving where you work makes you a better teammate and creates a better product.”
Truehold’s perks at a glance:
- Local volunteering opportunities during work hours
- Health insurance including FSA spending
- 401(k) match
- Generous paid parental leave
- Company equity at a growing, early-stage startup
Apptronik is a robotics company building robotics to work alongside humans. The company’s robots are designed both for work and to improve quality of life for people.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“Our mission at Apptronik is ambitious,” said Chief Operating Officer Bill Helmsing. “We are trying to change the world and improve society through human collaborative robotics. The key to accomplishing this goal isn’t the technology: It’s the people. “From the very beginning, our goal has been to find the best person for each role, not just anybody. The result of this is a world class, international, diverse and highly collaborative team that demands top performance from each other.
“In addition to hiring the best, we ensure our team members continue to grow by providing extensive opportunities in education and training. The field of robotics is evolving rapidly and we ensure our team remains current and competitive. Working at Apptronik means working shoulder to shoulder with others who are the best in their field working together towards a common goal.”
“We ensure our team members continue to grow by providing extensive opportunities in education and training.”
Apptronik’s perks at a glance:
“Every employee receives an equity package because it’s important to us that when Apptronik is successful, everyone is successful,” said Helmsing. “You will have the opportunity to be a shareholder in Apptronik and enjoy the benefits of our success. We are a growing company with evolving opportunities and promote people based on their expertise, knowledge and performance. As the company grows and you grow, you will have opportunities for new responsibilities. In addition, we want to ensure that our team continues to be world class and maintains our competitive edge and we fully support initiatives for individuals to pursue education and training to include travel to conferences and certifications.
“In terms of work-life balance, for most positions we offer the ability to work a hybrid schedule — with a work-from-home office package — so you can work from home on our flex days. We have flexible hours, and individuals can work with their managers to establish a schedule that works for everybody. We have 11 paid company holidays every year combined with an unlimited PTO policy that we encourage our team to use. Regarding culture, humility is one of our values, and big egos don’t have a place here. You will have a voice in the direction of our company and interact daily with leadership across the company. Every team member’s voice is important to us. We also have a culture committee solely focused on ensuring Apptronik holds true to its values.”
OTR Solutions is a fintech company that specializes in freight factoring, which enables companies to improve their cash flow by selling invoices from completed deliveries to a third party.
What are the most notable perks or employee benefits you offer your team? How are you investing in your employees in 2023 and beyond?
“In my view, one of the best rewards we offer our people is training and bonus incentives for attaining certification goals,” said Drew Bingham, CTO. “Technology is constantly changing and it can be a challenge to stay up to date on all the latest and greatest trends. Even worse, your skills can quickly languish. I am a big believer in lifelong learning, and if you are going to have a career in technology, you need to share that mindset. By offering continued training, incentives, and certification bonuses, we are nurturing that culture and investing in our people.”
“One of the best rewards we offer our people is training and bonus incentives for attaining certification goals.”
OTR Solutions’ perks at a glance:
- Mental health days
- Volunteer days
- Parental leave
- Internal inclusion programs
- Work-from-home flexibility
- Company-paid fitness memberships
- Weekly catered lunches
