Plenty of corporate perks focus on the here and now — covering commuter costs, meals and moving expenses; bringing dogs to work and so on. And while these benefits catch the eye long before you’ll ever think about 401(k) matching, it’s always worth thinking about how certain perks and benefits will affect you in the long term.
To learn more about how Seattle tech looks after employees for the long haul, we asked employees at three local companies about their programs and benefits that have a lasting impact.
West Monroe Partners’ team of consultants help businesses optimize operations, technology implementations, customer experience and more. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm draws inspiration from employees with a broad set of experiences and clients working in diverse industries and with diverse tech stacks.
Director of Technology Practice Nathan Appleton said his company’s employee stock ownership program helps set his team members up for financial success in the long term.
What are some benefits or programs your company offers to set you up for success in the future?
West Monroe’s mission is to develop the next generation of leaders, and that means we invest in a host of programs to help our people be successful professionally, personally and financially.
To help our employees meet their personal and professional goals, we have adopted a framework called Career Equity that provides tools and strategies to build a long-term vision for both their careers and personal lives. We also strive to align our people’s career goals to their project assignments, and support leadership development through coaching and mentoring programs as well as robust training offerings.
To support work-life integration, we formalized our approach to flexible work arrangements such as alternative schedules and telecommuting to better support employees looking to adapt the way they work while still contributing to West Monroe in a meaningful way.
Finally, to support financial success, every single employee participates in our employee stock ownership program and receives a share allocation each year.
Our finance team goes on an employee stock ownership program roadshow every year, traveling to each office to educate employees.”
How does your company make sure you understand how to take advantage of these forward-focused benefits?
We discuss benefits at our all-office town halls and quarterly meetings, provide robust information on our employee intranet and conduct training and education sessions. For instance, our finance team — including the CFO of the firm — goes on an employee stock ownership program roadshow every year, traveling to each office to educate employees on how an ESOP works and what they can expect as their shares grow. We also have an online resource where each employee can view a customized compensation statement displaying the value of their salary, ESOP shares, 401(k) balance and company match, training value and more. The site includes an equity modeling tool that allows people to estimate the value of their ESOP shares over time.
Investors, businesses and journalists use PitchBook’s finance database and analytical tools to track public and private equity markets. In addition to its signature software, PitchBook’s mobile app, analyst research and API help users inform investments, business decisions and journalism with hard financial data. The company was acquired by Chicago-based Morningstar in 2016 for $180 million and has additional offices in San Francisco, New York and London.
Human Resources Specialist Kelsey Smith highlighted PitchBook’s range of benefits designed to help employees set themselves up for financial stability and prosperity in the long term.
What are some benefits or programs your company offers to set you up for success in the future?
PitchBook has a robust benefits package for all full-time employees, covering both day-to-day needs like medical, dental and vision insurance while also providing unique benefits to help employees plan for the future. Examples include a generous 401(k) matching program, annual educational stipend of up to $1,000 for approved, job-related education and potential eligibility to receive up to $18,000 of educational funding for advanced degrees after one year of service.
PitchBook provides a number of financial tools to help employees manage their investment account.”
How does your company make sure you understand how to take advantage of these forward-focused benefits?
PitchBook offers an outstanding traditional and Roth 401(k) benefit with a company match of $0.75 on every dollar contributed up to 7 percent of salary with a two-year vesting schedule. PitchBook also provides a number of financial tools to help employees manage their investment account. PitchBook partners with investment advisors and various experts to provide education and one-on-one counseling to help employees set themselves up for financial success in the future, whether it be for retirement, buying a home or maximizing your credit score.
Using Seagull Scientific’s BarTender software, businesses create scannable and trackable labels, barcodes and RFID tags for pretty much any product. The technology is currently in use in the pharmaceutical, food, logistics, aerospace and retail industries, tracking individual products as they navigate cross-continental production processes and shipping channels.
Employees Ricardo L., Katherine S., Levi H., Alvaro P. and Fran K. highlighted Seagull Scientific’s wellness and tuition reimbursement perks as keys to their future.
What are some benefits or programs your company offers to set you up for success in the future?
Fran: Wellness is vital to me. We have an onsite fitness center, a plank group, and access to green space, trails, and a lush park — just steps away!
Levi: Among the many benefits and programs, Seagull places high value on professional growth — this includes the tuition reimbursement program. In my six years with the company, I have become the epitome of professional growth, largely thanks to Seagull Scientific and its tuition reimbursement program. Continuing my education has taken me from humble beginnings in technical support, where I had no prior professional technical experience; into the realm of QA, where I learned the importance of thorough and meticulous testing; and finally as a systems software engineer.
Katherine: Managers within the organization lay out objectives to build employee skill sets while providing feedback, encouragement and suggestions for improvement to help further the success of employees. To further encourage the staff and promote growth, we also give service awards.
I was really impressed by my boss’s interest in my growth.”
How does your company make sure you understand how to take advantage of these forward-focused benefits?
Ricardo: The benefits are displayed in job postings, and our amazing HR team makes sure we know about all the benefits during the hiring process and through informative newsletters.
Levi: Seagull Scientific does not shy away from advertising its college tuition reimbursement benefits to its employees. The company provides easy access to documentation on its expectations and requirements, as well as the proper submission forms. The reimbursement process is stress-free and easy.
Alvaro: I was really impressed by my boss’s interest in my growth. When he asked me where I wanted to go after tech support while discussing my career-oriented interests, I immediately knew Seagull was the company I’d like to build my career at!
