Square brings their EX a full circle

Summary

Square, the merchant services and mobile payment company built around a mission to make commerce easy, was among the first major technology companies outside Silicon Valley's traditional orbit to announce permanent remote work, a decision that reflects a broader employee experience philosophy the company has built over time.

Square approaches employee experience across flexible benefits, wellness programs, bottom-up learning initiatives and a comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy. The company uses people analytics to check unconscious bias in decisions around promotion and compensation, an approach aimed at ensuring fairness scales alongside the organization as it grows.

Cultural drivers behind Square's employee sentiment show up in ratings and testimonials from current and former employees that speak to feedback practices, flexible scheduling, and a sense of participation across teams. Specific development programs include leadership-focused coaching, mentorship structures, and a mix of in-person, virtual and on-demand learning formats for different roles.

Diversity and inclusion metrics covering workforce and leadership representation round out the picture of how Square measures progress against its stated commitments. For organizations benchmarking their own employee experience strategy, particularly in fintech and other fast-scaling technology sectors, Square's approach to benefits, culture and development offers a practical reference point.

What separates an employee experience that employees genuinely recommend to friends from one that merely checks the benefits boxes?