Working at a startup sure has its perks.
Ever more frequently, tech companies are investing heavily in their human capital in order to keep workers happy and culture in high spirits. They’ve got entire rooms dedicated to napping. They’ve got company-wide Super Smash Brothers tournaments and international retreats to Mexico. Some have even got monthly Whirlyball competitions against Taylor Swift’s merry band of famous friends. (That last one I might have made up, but you get the gist).
We caught up with a group of top tech companies to learn what they do to keep their team smiling. Here’s what you’re missing out on:
The standards: With a fully-stocked kitchen and a growing “arcade” of tech office staples like Ping Pong and pop-a-shots, Payline’s in-office culture is quintessentially startup. They’ve got five coffee machines scattered throughout the office and an armory of loaded Nerf guns that encourages a bit of cross-office friendly fire.
Where they shine: One of the most notable perks Payline offers is an annual company retreat. This year, the company paid for an all-inclusive trip to Riviera, Mexico for the team — and their significant others — to celebrate their successes together. But that’s just a once a year opportunity, and Payline works hard year-round to make sure employees are happy and motivated.
For instance, Payline’s administrative team organizes catered breakfast on Friday from various locations around the city in order to bring the team together and give employees the opportunity to catch up with co-workers in different departments.
But the perk they're most proud of is their Payline Giving program, which gives every employee three PTO days off a year to volunteer for a cause or organization of his or her choice. Last month, for example, the team attended the Bear Tie Ball event to support Bear Necessities, a pediatric cancer research. And — whenever they have the chance — they try to organize days where they can volunteer as a team.
How perks shape their vibe: “The perks offered at Payline are some of our greatest motivators — and they help to fuel the friendly competitive spirit we have going on here in the office. More so, our company perks have helped to foster friendships outside of the office. It’s not uncommon for a group of us to head to a festival in the city together (we’ve been to Lagunitas Brewing Beer Circus in support of Paws, one of our charity partners; we went to the NFL Draft festivities together last year; and a few of us are going to Donut Fest next month). And, most importantly, our office perks drive us to perform well so that we can have the greatest impact on our clients but also on the community."
Check out their open positions here.
The standards: They’ve got a packed suite of traditional perks that rivals the best tech companies in town, including (but nowhere near limited to) catered lunches, unlimited vacation and a flexible work from home policy, equity options, a professional development stipend, and reimbursements for both CTA and gym costs.
Where they shine: To say that Opternative’s culture is “fun” is an injustice to the working environment the company has managed to cultivate. From monthly after hours parties for the team and their similarly tech-minded friends (some of which take place on the company boat) to a kegarator, N64, positive vibes wall, and a proclivity to wear pink every Wednesday, Opternative’s culture redefines what it means to like where you work.
And that thriving culture has helped lead to a fast-growing trophy shelf (including one of our very own Moxies).
How perks shape their vibe: “Our office perks send a message that our company wants us, and values us as humans, not just as units of productivity. We treat each other well, we treat the company well, the company treats us well. Good culture makes you want to hang around more, makes it easier to work longer hours, makes my life easier, etc. makes me want to be more productive.”
Check out their open positions here.
The standards: Let’s talk benefits — Label Insight offers competitive healthcare options, 401K, and a “no vacation policy,” wherein employees are entrusted with unlimited vacation days.
Where they shine: They’ve got a pretty package of perks you’d be hard-pressed to find in the cubicled halls of Chicago. In addition to their office kegerator and stocked kitchen, Label Insight works hard to cater to the interests of every member of the team, from an on-going Smash Brother tournament to an on-site library and book club.
They’re also big on getting to know one another on a deeper level. They host “Storytelling Thursdays,” where team members take turns sharing fun stories about themselves in order to get to know team members better and go on twice yearly team building retreats outside of the office.
But the cherry on top? Take your dog to work days.
How perks shape their vibe: All of their perks are centered around growing a strong team. That starts with getting to know your teammates, building strong communication, continuous learning, and an ounce or two of good ol’ fashioned fun along the way.
Check out their open positions here.
The standards: This viral content juggernaut offers a generous dose of benefits and perks for its employees, like 100 percent employer-paid healthcare premiums, $100/month health and wellness stipend per employee for anything from gym memberships to rock climbing and massages and four weeks PTO with flexible working hours and a work from home policy. And that’s in addition to their top-notch suite of medical, dental and vision benefits.
Where they shine: Dose strives to create an office environment where employees actually enjoy coming into work everyday, and from a quick survey of their office digs, it seems like they’ve done good work.
Take, for instance, the room they’ve built entirely for napping that’s equipped with a Millennium falcon bed and oversized bean chair. Add that to Dose’s other office standards (like their Ping Pong table, dartboard, random pizza parties or board games tournaments), and you’ve got a culture that fosters refreshment, teamwork, competition — and a bit of playful smack talk thrown in for good measure.
How perks shape their vibe: “One of our most popular perks is an expense account for relevant educational learning materials. Every team member can order books for projects they’re working on. From day one, we’ve had an emphasis on continuous learning and helping employees reach their full potential. We believe any member of our team could discover our next big initiative. Ideas are celebrated and innovation is everyone’s job.”
Check out their open positions here.
Where they shine: Food has always been an important cultural element to working at Learnmetrics. Monday through Thursday, employees get Ritual credits for lunch and snacks at nearby restaurants.
When the company goes on retreats, Learnmetrics picks up the travel and food tab — with the founders doing the majority of the cooking.
How perks shape their vibe: “The most important part of our culture is the shared value of education. To that end, we plan to offer student loan repayment and a learning budget per-employee this year, so that we can continue to grow.”
Photos via featured companies.
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