When companies go the extra mile to prioritize employee growth and wellbeing, the hard work put forth each day at the office is immeasurable. Why? Because happy employees who feel fulfilled at work, are supported in their professional growth and are allotted resources that help them live their best lives outside of the office will produce greatness. Here’s how four Austin tech companies have developed initiatives that fuel personal and professional growth.
For Amherst employees, doing their best individual work is a team-wide goal. Director of Talent Acquisition Austen Carey mentioned a few of their newest initiatives that bolster both professional and personal growth — a vital part of the Amherst community and culture.
How do you support employees inside the office?
We provide all the tools needed in order for them to be successful, including our newly launched LinkedIn Learning and development modules, industry training and certification reimbursement and mentorship programs. We like to empower and challenge one another to do our best work possible and work collectively as a team. We’re excited to roll out a program in the coming weeks where new hires will get to interact with senior leadership over happy hour and establish relationships.
What are some of the most notable perks and benefits Amherst offers that support employees outside the office?
To reward employees for their hard work and promote a work-life balance and wellbeing, we offer a generous and flexible PTO policy where we want people to relax and decompress without thinking about work. We also offer maternity and paternity leave, encourage wellness activities, and host social gatherings and out-of-office events like karaoke, golf and more. We know what it’s like being a part of a busy family, so we offer flexible scheduling which makes everyone’s lives easier, especially with Austin’s traffic. To support charitable causes that our employees are passionate about, we also have a donation contribution match through our Amherst Foundation.
GoDaddy employees will notice a heaping amount of support starting at day one on the job. Patrick Urban, Austin’s sales learning delivery manager, walked us through what this looks like, and how he and the company offer ongoing resources that ensure employees continue to evolve and grow.
How do you support employees inside the office?
Our new hire training program encompasses our culture, product and process and is designed to give our employees everything they need for short- and long-term success. There’s constant support from our trainers and floor support managers who are there every step of the way with our new hires. And we continue to develop talent with weekly lunch-n-learn sessions, weekly call breakdowns and side-by-side coaching sessions.
We also provide informational resources accessible to all employees for quick answers whenever they need it. And, of course, GoDaddy sales managers are a very useful resource, offering career mentoring and individual coaching to help meet their teammates’ individual needs. On top of all the in-job support, GoDaddy also offers a wide range of employee resource groups to give both new and existing employees a chance to connect and network across all our global sites.
What are some of the most notable perks and benefits GoDaddy offers that support employees outside the office?
“Live passionately” is one of our core values at GoDaddy. Employees are encouraged to have a healthy balance, however they define it. Some of the most notable perks that help us live passionately outside the office are affordable health care options, commuter benefits, resources to improve mental health and overall well-being, paid parental leave and generous PTO. We’re lucky to be a part of a company that gives so much support to the team both inside and outside the office.
Spreetail is growing very quickly, which means they need more leaders. And like most swelling tech companies, they’d prefer to promote from within. To help raise their future leaders, and encourage professional and personal development, the company has put in place a number of initiatives. Head of People and Culture Emily Olinger gave us the details.
How do you support employees inside the office?
Our leadership development program is focused on how we can take an individual contributor, expose them to leadership growth and then help them gain skills to be ready to lead teams in the future. Our career coaches partner one-on-one with people to help them elevate their career growth. We also provide support for personal growth through our personal development retreats, which help people grow their emotional intelligence and learn how critical relationship intelligence is at home and in work. Additionally, our “Drink & Think” series is an opportunity to learn life lessons, like what to consider when buying a house or education on pronouns and the right ways to use them.
What are some of the most notable perks and benefits Spreetail offers that support employees outside the office?
One of our team's favorite perks is the $5,000 home purchase bonus, which we provide to help employees build their new house into their home. We also give an all-inclusive beach vacation after your three-year anniversary. Spending a week in Jamaica at a high-end resort is one heck of a way to re-energize! Finally, most employees join Spreetail because of our focus on community impact and the ways our team members are actively involved in building programs that help communities across the country thrive.
From nursing rooms to nail bars, designated volunteer days to lunch and learns, Kendra Scott pulls out all the stops for their employees. Compensation and Benefits Director Beth Ley highlighted a few of the company’s unique benefits that touch on life both inside and outside of the office.
How do you support employees inside the office?
At our home office and distribution center, we offer complimentary on-site gym classes, as well as on-site nursing rooms for mothers. At our home office, we have a playroom for kids, a barista who comes in twice a week, a snack room filled with all kinds of goodies, a smoothie bar and a crowd favorite: our complimentary on-site nail bar. Regarding professional growth, we offer lunch-and-learns that cover a variety of topics, as well as multiple leadership development series that all employees can participate in. We even offer employee training certification opportunities so that our employees can continue to become experts in their field.
What are some of the most notable perks and benefits Kendra Scott offers that support employees outside the office?
Our core pillars are family, fashion and philanthropy, so we offer benefits that live out those pillars. We offer 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave that applies to both part-time and full-time employees. We also offer two paid philanthropy days per year, where teams can take paid time off to volunteer at an organization of their choice. Another fun feature we’re implementing this summer, is our “Summer Fridays” program. From the first of June to the end of August, our office closes at noon. Lastly, a favorite perk is the Kendra Scott Family Fund, where employees can donate a portion of their paycheck to the fund and that grant money is used to support our employees through times of financial hardship whether it’s due to natural disasters or unexpected medical expenses.
