Onbe Is Named “Best Place to Work 2022”

Onbe is kicking off the year to a great start with some exciting news: We were recently named one of 100 Best Companies to Work for in Chicago 2022 by BuiltinChicago. (We’re also on their 100 Best Midsize Companies list!) As Chief People Officer of Onbe, I am so gratified to see that my team’s hard work to build a culture of openness and ingenuity—one that celebrates differences and affirms belonging—has been recognized in this list of stellar organizations.

As we’ve worked together to consciously shape Onbe’s culture over the past year, we’ve paid close attention to workplace shifts that are currently sweeping the nation. More than ever, employees are choosing to build careers with companies that have responded to the challenges of our changing world with flexible work-from-home jobs, policies that support parents and families, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Especially as we continue to navigate the pandemic, we’ve seen the benefit of moving away from traditional workplace practices like commuting to the office every day. To attract talent and build organizations that reflect their values, companies now know that they must do more to dissolve barriers to work—and that starts with understanding what employees need and want from their careers.

Empowering Employees to Choose Where They Work

At the top of the list for many is flexibility. From Onbe’s first foray into remote work early in the pandemic, we learned that collaboration can take place from anywhere when employees are supported by the resources and virtual tools they need to achieve their goals. Now, we have a work-from-anywhere policy that lets employees choose where they do their best work, because we’re confident that our team can stay connected and productive no matter what. For some, going to work still translates to being in the office every day. For others, it may mean working remotely up to five days a week, which enables employees to achieve better concentration in a less-bustling environment or stay home with a sick child, if needed. What’s most important is trusting our employees to know themselves and what they need to succeed so we can support them in their decisions.

Encouraging Work-Life Balance and Personal Goals

Another priority for us is affirming the need for work-life balance and building that into our organizational policies. We offer unlimited vacation time, but we know that for many, this isn’t enough of an incentive to decompress as often as needed. So, we require employees to take at least 15 days of time off per year, and we hope they’ll take more. With unlimited time off, team members can celebrate the holidays that matter most to them, such as Juneteenth, Diwali, or Hanukkah.

We also encourage employees to use some of their time to volunteer. Many people wish they could do more to drive change in their communities but don’t always have the bandwidth. At Onbe, we want to make it easier to get involved and make meaningful contributions to society outside of work. Being paid to volunteer means that those juggling multiple priorities don’t always have to carve out time on the weekends to make a difference, because they know they have Onbe’s full support to make volunteering part of a well-rounded career. The same goes for pursuing ongoing education and professional development. Bettering yourself shouldn’t have to compete with your job. At Onbe, we make it a goal to support employees in learning new skills by allowing time for learning and by investing in training. And we recently partnered with Holisticly to offer a range of mental health, wellness, and personal growth benefits that support employees’ whole selves, helping them live their best lives in and out of work.

Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Perhaps the most important prerogative for building an amazing culture here at Onbe is making sure everyone feels welcome and celebrated. That means recognizing that diversity is an important strength that needs to be consciously cultivated. It also means acknowledging some hard truths: fintech has not always been the most diverse of industries, and we’ve needed to take steps to actively change that—such as providing unconscious bias training and developing employee committees on diversity. I’m enthusiastic about our recent adoption of Textio, a software platform that helps us write more inclusive hiring content so that we can make sure our job descriptions are free from biased language. In 2021, the majority of our 67 new hires were from backgrounds underrepresented in fintech. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to drive all of our policy and hiring decisions.

I’m so proud that Onbe is among companies with the best benefits in 2022, and even prouder that we’ve built a strong foundation of trust, transparency, and inclusion. My favorite thing about going to work each day is being part of a culture in which employees collaborate to achieve amazing results on behalf of our clients. We cheer on each other’s successes and feel confident to be ourselves—whether that means sharing what’s most important to us or speaking up when something needs to change. I can’t wait to see how our culture continues to evolve over the next year. Oh, and more good news: Our team is growing! Check out Onbe’s profile on BuiltinChicago to learn more about what we do, the benefits we offer, and the positions we currently have open.

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Interested in joining the Onbe team or know somebody who would be a great fit? Visit our careers page.

by Jennifer Garrison, Chief People Officer