Based on my experience as a talent acquisition leader at Meta, I believe that the company has an exceptional benefits program. Over the past five years, I have recruited software engineers from across Canada and the United States, including from our competitors. I have found that Meta's benefits play a crucial role in our recruitment efforts, helping us to stay competitive in the tech industry. While standard benefits such as medical and dental plans are expected, our wellness resources and relocation packages are particularly valued by our employees. The recent layoffs in the tech industry have led to a greater emphasis on recruitment marketing, employer branding, and discussions about work culture. Despite these changes, I consider Meta's perks and benefits to still be among the best in the market. I believe that our comprehensive benefits package reflects Meta's dedication to supporting every aspect of our employees' lives. Here are the top 10 benefits that have been instrumental in recruiting tech workers, ranked in order of importance.
10. In-office amenities
Our headquarters in Menlo Park, California, has offered many in-office perks that candidates look forward to, such as free meals, laundry service, valet parking, an arcade, a barbershop, and other services. But many of our employees prefer to work remotely or in a hybrid capacity, so we've had a generous remote work policy as well.
9. Vacations
When joining a big tech company, most candidates have high expectations when it comes to healthcare, competitive equity packages, vacations, and bonuses. The candidates aren't as curious and excited about these benefits because they're expected to be exceptional, but our vacation benefits are a great recruitment tool.
The most exciting part of our vacation package is the "recharge" perk. Our employees get four weeks of PTO every year. After working at the company for five years, employees can take 30 days of paid time off at once, in addition to their regular PTO.
8. A wellness stipend for remote workers
We also offer a $2,000 stipend for wellness so that our employees can purchase gym equipment, a gym membership, and access other wellness resources from their remote locations.
7. Funds to set up a home office
This benefit became especially popular during the pandemic as more employees worked from home. We offered $1,000 to remote workers to help them set up a home office.
6. Four months of maternity and paternity leave
Another popular perk we offer is our family-planning policy. We offer four months of maternity and paternity leave for new parents. We've also partnered with a company to offer fertility coverage, which provides employees with access to fertility clinics, counselors, and doctors around the US and a patient-care advocate to support them with their needs.
5. Housing and transportation for interns
Meta has a 12-week internship program, and many of our interns prefer to live near headquarters so they can work in the office and get the full corporate experience. In order to do that, Meta provides interns with housing assistance and transportation options to and from work.
Most importantly, they get to work on different projects with Meta employees based on their personal interests and skills. Our internship program is a short but impactful experience.
4. Relocation assistance
We've partnered with a company to help our employees and their families relocate, under certain circumstances. The relocation company books flights and moving trucks and helps our new employees scout places to live and find resources based on what's important to them, whether it's preschools, grocery stores, or transportation.
The company also provides a point of contact who can help families learn about state laws and the community they're moving into. I believe the relocation compensation is more than enough for our employees and their families to move.
3. Bonuses
Meta's bonus structure remains competitive, in my opinion. Bonus amounts might have changed since the layoffs, but it's a perk that I've used to attract new recruits.
2. In the past, employees got to pick their own job roles
We put software engineers through an eight-week boot camp where they can immerse themselves in the code and products of the company. In the past, they'd also meet with different teams to select which area they wanted to work in. Unlike other big tech companies, we didn't hire for a specific role.
One of the biggest perks of working at Meta was that after the boot camp, software engineers got to choose their own roles, whether it was working with Insta Reels, WhatsApp Payments, Facebook Stories, or another Meta platform.
1. Equity packages
Meta offers very competitive equity packages to employees, on par with other big tech companies. This helps with recruitment, but candidates expect a robust equity package from us. It's not necessarily the benefit that stands out for new recruits, but it's one of the most important.