Attracting Talent: Inside Leadzai's Perks and Benefits Package

By now, we all know the way people see work has changed. While most people value their jobs and what they do, they also have other priorities. Millennials and Gen Zers look for companies where they can grow, learn something new daily, and still have time for their hobbies. This change means companies must adapt and ensure a culture that fits this spirit to retain talent and attract new hires.

This is precisely what we’re trying to do at Leadzai. As Chief of Staff, and being a Millennial myself, I allocate some of my agenda to making sure our benefits are up to date. Along with our HR Director João Bogalho, I’m constantly looking for new perks to add to our current ones. 

I joined the company in 2019, and we already had some cool perks. Leadzai had a very small team back then, but our management understood the importance of keeping everyone engaged with the company. Here are the perks we’ve had since day one:

• Work Insurance 
• Health Insurance 
• Unlimited paid days off
• Flexible Work Schedule 
• Free lunch delivered for those living in Lisbon, in partnership with EatTasty 
• Stock Options Plan 

When the team was smaller, it was easier to understand what people valued. We could ask them directly, more people would reach out to us with new ideas, and almost everyone was living in Lisbon at the time. Now, as a team of more than 60, with 13 different nationalities working across 11 countries, it’s harder to find solutions that suit everyone. 

So how do we decide which perks to add? We follow three simple guidelines to guarantee we keep with Leadzai’s values. 

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The Guidelines 

1. Can everyone have access to this perk?
   If not, it’s a no-go. While we’ve decided to keep our previous perks that only cover some people, going forward, we will only add those available worldwide. 
2. Will the team value this perk? Why or why not?
   We’ve asked our team to fill out a form with some information about which perks they’d like to see and asked them about specific ones we were looking into to assess their interest. During this phase, we analyse why people would value a particular perk. For example, is it because it’s a monetary help? Is it a lifestyle improvement? Is it a cultural opportunity? At the same time, we understand that not everyone will want to use every available perk, so it’s up to each person to decide if they want it, as none are mandatory. 
3. Do we have a budget for this?
   While we always push for perks we know will increase team productivity and build a more robust culture, budget is also a reality. Before making any decisions or proceeding further, we always present the solution to our CFO. 

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Once these questions are answered, it’s time to start looking for providers or ways of implementing a benefit in the most efficient way possible. This part of the process is sometimes quite tricky and takes some time. I’d say most perks we’ve added have taken a while to implement because we wanted to make sure that all our perks come to stay. We’d hate to provide our team access to a specific benefit and have to take it away later for some reason, so we prefer to take our time deciding and not rush into things. 

It’s an ongoing process we’re constantly working on. To the list above, we’ve since added some other perks, making our current pool as follows: 

• Work Insurance 
• Health Insurance 
• Unlimited Paid Days Off
• Flexible Work Schedule 
• Work From Anywhere 
• Free Lunch, in partnership with EatTasty 
• Stock Options Plan 
• Coverflex Benefits
• Mental Health Program
• Unlimited Free Online Courses
• Cool Team-Building Events
• Work Equipment 
• Head Hunting Bounty 

This list will, hopefully, keep growing and evolving with the team. We understand that, as a company, productivity and high-quality work are our priorities. At the same time, we deeply believe that a motivated team is a better team, so we like to make sure our culture reflects that.

Whether that’s done by bringing people together more often or looking for ways to make their daily lives easier so they can focus on what matters, we’re committed to continuing to find new ways of making Leadzai even greater. 

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