It’s time to reinvent employee benefit standards. Here’s how TaskUs does it in Thessaloniki, Greece

Considered as the melting pot of Balkan countries, East Europe, and the Middle East, Thessaloniki is home to a rich and diverse pool of talent. 

The second largest city in Greece has lured migrants from neighboring countries for a long time with its strategic location and vibrant lifestyle; thus, earning the title “Mother of Migration.” Today, Thessaloniki continues to attract migrants, specifically highly qualified and multilingual profiles from different backgrounds.

Hanin Touzri, who was born and raised in Tunisia, is one of them. She immediately fell in love with Greece during a trip to visit her sister, Amel. It was only supposed to be a vacation for a month or so, but they eventually found themselves starting a new life in Greece after Amel’s acquaintance recommended they work for TaskUs. And so they moved to Thessaloniki in 2020. 

“At first, I wasn't planning to stay, but then I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Greece has many similarities with Tunisia, that’s why I really felt like I was home. However, what excited me the most was the idea of having a fresh new career here in Greece,” Hanin shared.

Hanin became a TaskUs Teammate. Amel, on the other hand, started her journey with the company as a Team Leader back in March 2020. She recently got promoted to Operations Manager.

TaskUs facilitated their relocation with a two-week hotel stay and paid transportation to Thessaloniki, among others. “​​It was a big move but definitely worth it,” Touzri shared.

Hanin already heard a lot of great things about TaskUs prior to joining the company.

“I researched the company and was really amazed by the progress that TaskUs has made so far,” she said. “I appreciate the fact that employee well-being is always a top priority, which made me feel excited to join. I knew that this would have a great impact on my productivity and performance.”

TaskUs welcomes people regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and background. The company also provides comprehensive compensation packages based on one’s skills.   

“Instead of just giving monetary compensation, we try to be more creative and give other additional employee benefits for candidates who offer special skills such as fluency in several languages,” Vice President for Operations at TaskUs Greece, Nikos Stavropoulos, said.

Since the company came to Thessaloniki, TaskUs has continuously been a staunch advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. For one, more than half of its workforce and half of its leadership team are women. 

“Diversity and inclusion for us is not just bold statements on social media. It’s really about how we welcome people to the company and how we encourage them to be their true selves at TaskUs,” said Stavropoulos.

The company has initiatives and programs to educate its people on diversity and inclusion, encourage conversations around racial and social justice issues, and contribute to local communities. It has Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that exist to provide a safe space for marginalized or underserved identity groups and ally supporters. ERGs are dedicated to the professional development of its members, driving positive change inside the workplace through education and awareness, and contributing to the communities where employees live and work.

Refreshing culture and benefits

As a people-first company, TaskUs also makes sure to provide equal opportunities and benefits. The organization allocates unique employee benefits equally to its people, from teammates to leadership, which is not common for employers in Greece. Typically, benefits and compensation vary depending on work function and hierarchy. 

“Our people-first culture is not common in Greece,” Stavropoulos said. “Having the same benefits from Teammates to the Vice President—this is something that TaskUs embraces and brings to Greece.”

Unlike most companies in Greece, TaskUs covers healthcare for employees and an unlimited number of their dependents. On top of this, teammates also receive access to private hospitals, medical centers, and intensive care units (ICUs) across the country, and discounts for checkups and examinations.

One of the biggest differentiators of TaskUs Greece is its Wellness & Resiliency (W&R) department, solely dedicated to care for employees’ well-being, including their mental health.

“We have a robust employee wellness program. And I am excited to see how the team will be pushing the boundaries of the program with a new Wellness Manager onboard,” Stavropoulos shared. 
TaskUs Greece recently welcomed Elena Bikou to its W&R team.

“Our goals are to reduce employee risks related to mental health, promote productivity and engagement, and continuously improve the TaskUs workspace by addressing the many dimensions of wellness,” Bikou said. “It is important to spread awareness and remove any stigma surrounding asking for help.”

She stressed that employee education and awareness are key components to continuous employee success and wellness.

With the support from TaskUs’s global Wellness and Resiliency team, Bikou started programs such as resiliency training and individual coaching sessions. These provide preventive care and equip employees with the skills to adapt to challenges especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, Bikou believes that employers have an important role to play in supporting employees’ well-being and growth.

“We must provide comprehensive programming to promote a safe working environment where employees succeed and thrive,” she added.

TaskUs also believes in giving ample career and professional development opportunities for all its employees, which is also not a common practice in Greece. The company has a Tuition Fee Reimbursement Program that covers a portion of the cost for furthering education toward an Associate, Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral degree, or approved certification program.

“Companies in Greece don’t provide this to first-level employees. Typically, they might provide tuition fee programs to middle or higher management,” Stavropoulos said. 

Hanin added, “I can say that TaskUs always supports continuing education and growth, and rewards hard work, a company culture which is not easy to come by in Greece.”

Continuously innovating

Always striving to improve employee experience, TaskUs constantly develops and plans unique programs and benefits for all of its teammates. 

According to Stavropoulos, TaskUs Greece considers three things upon planning new employee benefits: teammates’ insights, industry differentiators, and market trends.

“We are innovators by profession, so we continuously challenge ourselves to do more for our employees,” Stavropoulos stressed. “Our team can always look forward to a ridiculously good employee experience at TaskUs.”

Stavropoulos added that TaskUs will never settle for templated industry benefits. Instead, it sets the standard for truly being a people-first company.