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People-Driven Success Story

PeopleGrove Prioritizes Employee Wellbeing

PeopleGrove’s software helps institutions bring personalized, mentor-focused communities to students and alumni from enrollment to long after graduation.

90+

Employees Worldwide

40

Employees in

the United States

3

Programs in

Wellbeing Bundle

Like so many other companies over the past few years, PeopleGrove was dealing with the isolating effect of a remote workforce and many employees who were understandably burnt-out after a long period of uncertainty.

“I was sensing the tension and the fear of not knowing what was going to happen,” said PeopleGrove’s Head of Operations Katie Jouthas.

Katie saw employees struggling to stay engaged, and knew that the company needed to do something more to support its people and their wellbeing.

“We wanted to make an impact for our employees and show them that we care, and make it at no cost to them,” Katie said.

Talking to her Sequoia representative, she was able to put together a bundle of wellbeing programs for employees that included everything from Headspace, the meditation app; to on-demand mental health app Ginger; as well as physical health coaching through Aaptiv, since most of its workout enthusiasts couldn’t visit their gym in-person.

The mental health app was especially important, Katie said because many employees were having a difficult time finding therapists or getting an appointment in a timely way. With the app, they were able to bring the therapy to the privacy of their home, when they most needed it.

With the help of Sequoia and its benchmarking research, Katie was able to put a proposal together and get the new wellbeing bundle greenlighted.

“I announced the new offerings at an all-hands meeting in July and people were very excited,” Katie said. “They were commenting in the chat, and emailing me asking for more details. It was a real win.”

A few months later, Katie again reached out to her team at Sequoia to see which, if any of these services could be extended globally to support its growing team in India, and was happy to learn that most of the services could be rolled out internationally, helping to improve these employee’s day-to-day life.

Help the way employees need it

One thing that made the wellbeing bundle particularly attractive was the privacy employees could have in accessing these benefits.

They could access talk therapy via their work email, but company administrators couldn’t see who specifically was using Ginger, or other data such as how often that individual had used it, which made team members feel more comfortable using it.

“That was really important to our people,” Katie said. “Employees can use the programs however they need them, and trust that their information is secure.”

The same privacy is there when it comes to the company’s medical and retirement benefits. Because employees have a dedicated employee advocate at Sequoia, they can get questions answered, figure out plan coverage, and troubleshoot billing problems without having to share personal information with their employer.

“When I onboard people, I always tell them about this great service,” Katie said. “It’s the biggest sigh of relief for them because now they won’t have to talk about private medical and financial situations with an HR rep – rather a trusted third party,” Katie said.

Katie added that the employee advocates are like an extension of her team, giving her more time to focus on expanding PeopleGrove’s operations around the globe.

Being new to the benefits role, the support of Sequoia has been so helpful in understanding what everything is and guiding me to the right place. They really have made a huge impact on my life and I know the rest of our team feels the same way.

A partnership for growth

Just as PeopleGrove is all about helping students find mentors and make meaningful connections that help guide them on their path through college and beyond, Sequoia has been a helping hand to Katie as she has learned to navigate the world of employee benefits and regulatory compliance.

“I come from the higher education side of things, from alumni, career offices and housing,” Katie said. “Being new to the benefits role, the support of Sequoia has been so helpful in understanding what everything is and guiding me to the right place. They really have made a huge impact on my life and I know the rest of our team feels the same way.”

Meet the Client

Katie Jouthas
Head of Operations, PeopleGrove

Sequoia Delivers

Sequoia supports PeopleGrove’s mission by delivering the following key services and products:

PeopleGrove relies on Sequoia guidance and
technology to create the best employee experience

Sequoia Wellbeing Services

Sequoia helps companies better respond to the needs of their people with impactful benefit options and perks that holistically support their physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing, no matter where they are.

Sequoia People Platform

Sequoia's platform lets you see all your benefits program data—alongside benefits insights and benchmarks—in one place, as well as communicate with your people in-app; employees can access the platform for their full plan details, digital ID cards, provider search, wellbeing program access, and more.

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