This post was co-authored by Heather Mattisson and Charles Sim.
Gusto’s Homebase philosophy and how it’s evolving
At Gusto, our mission has always been to create a world where work empowers a better life. But we can’t just talk the talk — we have to walk the walk. Every day, we encourage our customers to provide their employees with care and empowerment. It’s up to us to set the standard for what that looks like in a world that’s changed so much.
As small-and-medium-sized businesses swerved with every curve of the pandemic, our Gusto teams collaborated 100% remotely, building dozens of new features and products to help our customers not just survive, but ultimately thrive again.
Despite the challenges, our customer base grew 50% during COVID and our team’s overall productivity soared. Now, as in-person work becomes possible again, our idea of “business as usual” must evolve. When we fully reopen our Homebase offices, we’re putting an even more powerful emphasis on workplace empowerment and equity.
The “ideal working environment” has been defined in many ways over the years — from the “office era” to the “cubicle era” to the “open floorplan era” to the “all remote” era. But a cut-and-dried approach is no way to work. If we want to continue to build a representative team that reflects the diverse individuals we serve, we need to take both individual and collaborative needs into account. Because going forward, the future of work will be defined not just by our physical spaces, but by the space we make for others.
Giving space, grace, and the power to choose
When we started designing our return-to-work approach, our first step wasn’t to dictate terms, but rather ask our employees about their needs and wants. From there, we could continue what was working and iterate and improve on what needed to change. Our mantra? “Give space and give grace.” It acknowledges that this is a time of transition for all of us — we must listen, learn, and adjust accordingly.
We heard from employees that they felt most empowered when they were entrusted to make choices that suited their unique life circumstances. They still wanted to be a part of our Gusto community, serve our customers, collaborate with their teams — to feel like they were part of something larger than themselves. But they also wanted more flexibility, autonomy, and options. They weren’t asking for a “free-for-all,” but a “one-size-fits-all” approach wouldn’t cut it either.
Armed with that information, we developed a paint-by-numbers approach: we provided some guidelines, but our employees got to pick the colors that worked for them.
Creating Spaces that Shape Experiences
We started this company in San Francisco, but as we created offices in Denver and New York, we’ve intentionally designed it so that we don’t have a single headquarters, but instead a set of equally important Homebases. Each Homebase plays an important role in our ability to serve our customers and we’re committed to the ties we’ve built in each of those communities and the success of Gusties, wherever they work from. During the pandemic, we added another Homebase—our remote community, which includes employees throughout the US and Canada, and this will be our fourth Homebase going forward. We are excited about the opportunity that will come from adding a Remote Homebase, and the opportunity to attract world-class talent from a much broader talent pool.
The future for our Gusto homebases is rooted in a community-first model optimized for connection, culture, and choice. Here’s what we prioritize:
Shared space. More in-office social spaces and dynamic shared seating for our Flex employees create a sense of comfort, community, and belonging. Employees can work wherever they’re most comfortable — in living room spaces, kitchen areas, or desks. After all, our physical “Homebases” should feel like home.
Community and connection. We’ll continue the programs that help Gusties feel connected- our affinity groups, our speaker series, our surprise + delight programs- but ensure they work for everyone, whether you work from a physical Homebase or our Remote one.
Smart technology. Our new Gusto On The Go app allows Gusties to interact with our Homebases, whether they need to book a meeting space, find their way around, or stay up to date on Gusto events.
Supporting Different Working Styles
Through frequent surveys and conversations, we learned that what works for some employees doesn’t work for others. Especially when it comes to where and how they could do their best work.
Some employees couldn’t wait to get back to our physical Homebases in Denver, New York, and San Francisco. Others were thriving in a fully-remote setting. And many wanted a blend of both. Choosing between business and employee needs shouldn’t have to be a binary choice.
Today, Gusto is supporting three work styles for our diverse and distributed teams:
Flex: Many of our Gusties will be Flex workers, meaning they will spend 2-3 set days a week in the office, determined by their teams, to collaborate in-person. Flex Gusties will spend the rest of the week working from wherever they work best: in the office, at home, or from somewhere else.
In-Office: A small percentage of our team, whose jobs are tied to supporting our physical infrastructure and operations, will work full-time at our physical Homebases.
Remote: The remainder of our Gusties can choose to work permanently from anywhere in the US and Canada, with the option to travel to our physical Homebases for periodic team gatherings and moments that matter.
Leaders at Gusto worked with their team members to decide which work styles fit best for each role, as well as which days were best for team in-office work to strengthen collaboration.
A Modern Approach to the Employee Experience
There’s more to the employee experience than foosball tables or rows of La Croix in the fridge. Empowerment itself is a benefit. And it is essential to the modern workforce.
So we took a long look at what we were offering. We’ve always centered our perks and benefits on meeting the needs of our employees, wherever they are on life’s journey. But those journeys were evolving faster than ever. We wanted to do more.
Now, employees can choose from unique perks that best fit their life and work styles. Fully remote? We’ll provide a stipend to make sure you have what you need to set up a productive workspace. Working from the office? We will help cover the cost of your commute and provide food and drinks to foster community-building and connectedness over a meal.
And to reward key Gusto milestones, each Gustie has an account they can access anytime, with a wide range of options to choose from — no expense reports or reimbursements needed. For our employees just starting out in the workforce, using the funds to pay down student loans might make the most sense; other Gusties may choose to spend it on travel; still others may choose to treat themselves to something special, like a spa day.
The importance of choice also extends to our mental wellness benefits. During COVID, we tripled our mental health offerings so Gusties can seek out the support they need—whether it’s counseling, mindfulness and meditation workshops, or financial coaching. Gusties can access physical wellness benefits as well- that can be used for a gym membership, personal training, at-home fitness equipment and more.
And of course, we’ll continue to offer the benefits that help empower a healthier life- health insurance, vision/dental benefits, flexible vacation time, parental leave benefits, and more.
Our flexible perks and benefits offerings put our employees in the driver’s seat. Each individual decides what type of help and support they need most, instead of the other way around.
Adapting to Serve
The future of work is all about empowering employees — listening, learning, and adapting along the way. That respect and empowerment is contagious. It helps attract and retain great team members. Because behind Gusto’s People Platform is a commitment to creating a better world for hardworking employees everywhere.
We’re excited to reopen our doors and usher in our modern Gustie experience to all of our employees. And if you’re inspired by the culture we’re creating and interested in serving small businesses across the country, we invite you to join us! Check out gusto.com/careers to learn more.
