But for Melissa Theiss (Head of People Operations at Column), the challenge was clear: how to connect personally and foster engagement with a diverse, global team of software engineers, marketers, salespeople, operators, and designers<\/strong>. This team isn\u2019t just talented in their professional roles \u2013 they are also musicians, authors, dancers, lawyers, former startup founders, and even award-winning filmmakers.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Column’s annual benefits survey revealed a complex problem: while everyone wanted a 401k employer match, the team also desired nearly 20 other perks<\/em>. Some employees wanted help with their home office setup, while others wanted to pay off student loans. There was no one-size-fits-all solution. Moreover, existing benefits saw low utilization due to poor awareness and understanding. Melissa knew the key to a successful benefits program lay in personalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I realized our current stipends weren’t meeting our team\u2019s needs<\/strong>. A benefits program is successful if and only if people are aware of it, feel empowered to use it, and have a positive experience.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Melissa Theiss, Head of People Operations at Column<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Melissa evaluated various strategies, weighing the pros and cons of vendor marketplaces versus reimbursement models. She engaged with HR professionals in Slack communities, reviewed G2, and compared competitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, the flexibility of the Compt platform stood out, especially its ability to offer global parity by allowing employees to upload receipts in their respective currencies. This also gave employees the freedom to choose the benefits that were most important to them. Theiss said the flexibility of the Compt platform was a major selling point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Column chose Compt to manage its custom perks, introducing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n From mid-November to mid-December, Compt was onboarded, and within a week, employees were submitting receipts just in time for the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Melissa saw firsthand the meaningful impact of Compt\u2019s stipends. Employees used them in diverse ways\u2014 from taking their children to Disney World to paying off student loans and investing in executive coaching. The flexibility allowed them to create experiences and access resources that truly mattered to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “People are using it to access resources or create experiences with their loved ones that they wouldn’t have otherwise. And for us, that looks like a success”, says Melissa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nChallenge: the struggle of keeping a remote team happy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What next: exploring solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Solution: the breakthrough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Results: impact in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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