What Is Perks
Transform the way you think about work.
We believe great work experiences are possible and creating them is a matter of access to innovative services, peer support, thoughtful design and creative problem solving. Everybody works. Our mission is to transform the way you think about it.
Don’t let the name fool you, either. While PERKS can be things like on-site manicures and massages, we also focus on serious services like healthcare network optimization and direct deposit loan programs. PERKS works to pool experts and create content on lots of real-time issues for people professionals and we promise the following 3 things in all that we do:
At PERKS we don’t preach. We won’t talk at you, rather we’ll involve you in the conversation and allow you to decide what is right for your team. Everything we do focuses on outcomes that are relevant to you as a people pro.
There’s a lot of ‘fluff’ in the world of culture and employee experience today. We promise to cover up-to-date issues and support all of our programs with subject-matter experts and thoughtfully researched actions and opinions.
Every workforce has creative options available to it regardless of budget, hours, salaries or location. PERKS highlights and curates solutions that are ubiquitous and accessible for organizations of all types.
Who Is Perks
Founded by insiders.
PERKS is a growing tribe of operators and employee experience professionals with combined experience from the best brands in the world. Our online community and our events are supported by team of diverse professionals from our many locations, each of us with a personal story about how organizations can be improved.
Alexa Baggio
Co-Founder
Alexa co-founded PERKS in 2014 out of a longing for a more thoughtful and modern solution to workplace improvement and the employee experience. Underwhelmed by the traditional outlets for benefit discovery and feeling a lackluster focus on the employee experience, PERKS and the PERKS Conventions were born to change the script for employees and employers alike.
Alexa previously served as the Vice President of Experience with 2020 On-site, an on-site vision care PERK she co-founded in 2014. While at 2020, Alexa co-founded PERKS and created the first PERKS Convention, an annual employee experience tradeshow, to create a platform and community for employers to find innovative, employee-centric services like 2020 and more… Through successful implementation of the conventions, PERKS has been able to grow their online and offline communities, expand the PERKS Conventions across the nation, and has begun to bring additional experiences and content to the ‘people people’ embedded in every organization.
Kate Putnam
VP, Operations
Equal parts shrewd operator, marketer, tech assassin, and growth-maker, Kate joined PERKS Convention to support today’s need for better business cultures and growth.
Kate spent the past six years developing a unique and diverse skill set at a SaaS ecommerce start-up, Blueport Commerce, successfully managing Board and investor relationships and led the growth of the marketing and business development department from its infancy. She then went onto lead technical project management for the company’s largest account and managed cross-functional processes across Blueport’s technical capabilities. Prior to Blueport she spent six years managed marketing, sales, public relations and investor relations strategies and programs at various agencies in and around Boston.
Kate holds an M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College and a B.A. in English, Business Management and Spanish from Wheaton College of Massachusetts.
Saul Lookner
Director of Business Development
As the Director of Business Development for PERKS Saul is responsible for identifying and shepherding new PERKS and Sponsors into the community. Prior to PERKS Saul was the Plan Director for the HomeBenefitIQ program. He acquired and and oversaw all accounts,volunteers, marketing, and communication for the program. Saul is the Vice Chair of WWCMA (Worksite Wellness Council of MA), is heavily involved with NEHRA (Northeast Human Resources Association) and serves on the Membership Committee for NEEBC (New England Employee Benefits Council). Prior to his 6 ½ years with HBIQ, Saul spent 11 years as Senior Executive Recruiter for a small recruiting firm based in Washington DC. Saul has an MBA in Management from Bentley University and a BS in Public Relations from Boston University. Saul lives with his wife and two children in Newton, MA.
Our Content
PERKS is a paradigm shift.
PERKS has and will continue to create helpful content in various forms that focuses on actionable and relevant solutions for your team. From e-books, to profiles, webinars and more... all PERKS content is created independently and reflects a curated and researched approach to the topic of employee experience.
PERKS Conventions are interactive showcases of the best and most innovative services available to employers, for their employees. These shows were created on the premise that great employee benefits and PERKS don’t create a culture, but they support it. So, we created an event to give our people operations and human resource enthusiasts the ability to find, experience and discuss those PERKS with their peers without hassle.
Our showcases are hands on, with the ability to experience all the services being showcased (massages, manicures, meditation, etc.) as well as additional classes and workshops that pertain to these services. We believe learning and doing is the best environment to create imaginative and thoughtful employee experiences. Everything is relevant to bringing the right experience to your team and each show is meant to be enjoyed by colleagues, teams and executives alike.
Our partners are chosen based on their expertise in their field and are recommended service providers and knowledge experts we encourage PERKS members to engage with and support.
The HR Certification Institute® (HRCI) provides the best certifications for HR and non-HR professionals through a suite of eight HRCI credential programs. These certifications are designed for all levels of experience and people management competencies for career and business advancement.
Discount for attendees with code - PERKS! Taking place this August 25-28 in sunny Long Beach, CA, CAHR19 is four days packed with workplace insight, sessions, speakers and networking. PERKS is partnering to give $100 off your registration to CAHR19.
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