Some things are universally true.
For example, the golden rule can be generally applied to make a sound moral decision. Also, the other side of the pillow is always more refreshing, and finishing a good book for the first time provides a universal sense of satisfaction.
Some aspects of life are just simply a global one-size-fits-all — but a benefits package when starting a new job is not one of those things. It might sound obvious, but what is unique in one country is commonplace in another, making benefits for global companies a tricky thing to create — after all, an excellent health benefits package doesn’t have the same draw when working from a country with universal healthcare. HR teams are intimately familiar with this particularly hard-to-plan buffet.
A Study on Talent Retention Motivators
A 2024 study by Kellanova, formerly Kellogg Company, states that the big motivators for what keeps someone at a job could be more universal than we might think. The study assessed responses from 3,500 students and adults from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia and India who were all asked, “What part of the employee experience is most important to you?”
- 95% of respondents want a workplace that “rewards them for the impact they make”
- 94% want the “opportunity to unleash their potential and become their best”
- 92% expect an employer to “place a priority on their well-being”
Built In found six companies that all have unique benefits packages, a global mindset in the company culture or prioritize employee growth and success.
What Liberty Mutual does: Liberty Mutual is a Fortune 100 company, offering property and casualty insurance.
Liberty Mutual’s Professional Development Perks
- Continuing education stipend and tuition reimbursement, with online course subscriptions and continuing education available during work hours
- Job training and conferences, with paid industry certifications
- Mentorship program
- A promote-from-within culture
- Lunch-and-learn sessions
Diverse teams: Liberty Mutual has a strong DEI commitment. In 2023 alone, more than 16,000 U.S. employees engaged in more than 228 ERG-sponsored events. Shauna Landrum, who led the data experience product in 2023, told Built In about what it’s like to work for a company that values diversity: “At Liberty, it’s refreshing to see diversity in the room — I can reach out and have conversations with people who relate to me.”
What Ahold Delhaize does: Ahold Delhaize USA is a global food retailer and part of a U.S. suite of brands such as Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop.
Ahold Delhaize’s Health Perks
- Health, vision, dental, life, disability and pet insurance offerings with flexible spending accounts
- Team workouts
- Wellness programs and wellness days
- Mental health benefits
- Transgender health care benefits
- Abortion travel benefits
Big-company resources: In a 2024 interview with Built In, Chief of Staff Erin Fleckenstein explained that working for a global food retailer means you have access to resources for large-scale projects.
“A notable example is the rapid implementation of a global cloud environment, which reduced adoption time from 10 months to 10 weeks and highlighted the impact of collaboration to advance business progress,” she said.
What Datadog does: Datadog builds monitoring and security platforms for developers, IT teams and business users.
Datadog’s Financial Perks
- 401(k) matching
- Company equity and an employee stock purchase plan
- Charitable contribution matching
- Performance bonus
- Pay transparency
Supporting employees’ unique needs:Datadog takes its benefits package seriously. The HR team at the company also knows how to make sure its benefits are equally alluring all around the world. Lucile Serventon, a benefits manager for the EMEA region who works out of the company’s Paris office, told Built In in January 2025 that she helps teammates get access to the benefits that suit their specific needs.
“I think that our range of benefits shows how much we put people in the center of things,” she said. “We have the same Datadog benefit philosophy and categories, but we adjust the benefits depending on the country.”
What Dynatrace does: Dynatrace is an AI, IT and big data company that provides software intelligence to simplify cloud complexity and accelerate digital transformation.
Dynatrace’s Office Perks
- Commuter benefits
- Company-sponsored outings and happy hours
- Fitness stipend and onsite gym
- Relocation assistance
- Free snacks and drinks
- Home-office stipend for remote employees
‘Real vibes’: Chief People Officer Sue Quackenbush shared in a blog the story behind the company’s culture tagline “real vibes, real people.” The phrase arose after Quackenbush initiated a global series of focus groups to gather feedback about the culture.
“We also surveyed all our employees to gather the stories of what compelled them to join and what keeps them at Dynatrace,” Quackenbush noted in a company blog. “This process was the catalyst for change. From the results of our internal reflection, we were able to start implementing a series of developments that have been integral to building a strong and recognizable employee experience for Dynatrace. We identified the overwhelming value we all place on the Dynatrace culture, the shared appreciation of the people and our pride in the Dynatrace platform and what we do.”
What Commercetools does: Commercetools’ composable commerce platform is designed to help brands create customized, meaningful consumer interactions.
Commercetools’ Culture Perks
- Volunteer in local community
- Flexible work schedule, hybrid work model
- Open-door policy with open office floor plan and in-person all-hands meetings
- Pair programming
- Team-based strategic planning using an OKR operational model
- ERGs
- Quarterly engagement surveys
Employee well-being comes first: The culture at Commercetools is one that focuses entirely on putting its people first. Just a few of the ways the company shows it include flexible work schedules — which can mean working from another country for 60 days a year or the option to work in the morning or evening, depending on what you prefer — and a communal mindset that is all about constant learning.
What SquareWorks Consulting does: SquareWorks Consulting is a NetSuite partner focused on elevating its customers’ experiences with automation solutions and consulting services.
SquareWorks Consulting’s Culture Perks
- Partners with nonprofits
- Remote work program
- OKR operational model
- Day off for your birthday
- Employee awards
AI powered: SquareWorks Consulting announced in December of 2024 that the company would offer a new product called Invoice AI.
“As technology quickly advances, the products available to improve financial processes for ERP users and AP professionals must also keep pace,” said CEO Bernardo Enciso in a press release. “This is why we have come out with our latest AI offering, Invoice AI, to provide a solution which continuously improves on the accuracy of invoice data with adaptable and user-friendly customizations for finance teams. Building on the success of our original OCR solution, we can now bring a smarter, faster and more accurate tool to ensure accounting teams save more time and effort than ever before for more reliable invoicing.”