It’s 2021. We have smart-everything. We even have robotic pillows that fight anxiety. So why don’t we have company perks that meet the moment? Why do perks still feel like afterthoughts hastily tacked onto compensation packages?
The world has changed, and we need to change too.*
Historically, perks were the goodie bags, door swag, and stocking stuffers of the corporate world. They were nice-to-haves. And you know what? They were nice to have. A ping pong table and office keg could make for a pretty fun Friday afternoon.
But those perks didn’t fulfill us or help us grow. They didn’t support mental health, provide purpose, or alleviate burnout. And that’s OK. They met their moment—they just aren’t meeting ours.
It's not that we don't want to have fun at work; it's that when things get hard, and they will, I want to make sure we are taking care of ourselves at work—first. We are constantly asking “what does a place that I want to work at every single day look like?”
So when it came time to decide what company perks to offer, we wondered:
Could we do perks differently? And if we do, will anyone want to work with us?
This is our experiment. A sense of accomplishment, a feeling of ownership, and 360-degree wellness. Those would be our perks.
Psychology tells us that when you accomplish something, whether launching a product or folding the laundry, you feel good. At Keys we aspire to an environment where you have the tools to feel accomplished all the time.
→ Dark Day. Wednesdays are 100% “dark,” meaning no meetings and no distractions. It’s a day for deep work, catching up, and getting ahead. Wake up and exhale a sigh of relief because nobody is going to bother you all day.
→ Home Office Stipend. Every employee gets an annual home office stipend to spend on whatever you want, no questions asked.
→ Education Stipend. Is there a book you’ve been wanting to read? A course you want to take? It’s on the house. Just be sure to share your learnings during a Teaching Tuesday.
Controlling where and when we work is a legacy of the industrial complex that tech readily adopted. We believe nothing is more important than owning your own time and that people should be able to take care of personal things at work without explaining.
→ 1000% Remote. That’s not a typo. We trust you to do your work regardless of your latitude and longitude.
→ No Business Hours. Remember in college, when you worked on a schedule that was optimized for you? That’s how we believe all work should be. We have a small window for daily meetings; the rest is up to you.
Today health and wellness doesn’t just mean physical health; it means everything. Our top priority is to support you—however that looks—period.
→ Life Coach. CEOs usually have one; why not everybody? If you’re interested, we’ll pair you with a life coach (and pay for it) to help you get the most out of, well, you.
→ Dark Meetings. Sometimes you just aren’t feeling it. We’ve all been there, so why do we insist on pretending otherwise? No more. At Keys, if you’re having a bad day, say so and duck the meeting. We’ll catch you tomorrow ✌️
Salary, equity, full benefits, 401(k), unlimited PTO. These things are not perks, although some companies pretend they are. These are the components of a modern compensation package and are included in every offer we make.
We set out to build a modern organization from the start, one that is conscientious, remote, and asynchronous-by-default. Join us.
*There's one perk we didn't change. We have dope hoodies.
