People-Driven Success Story
Bilt Rewards Crafts Ideal Comp and Benefits Strategy with Their PEO Team
Bilt Rewards is the first-ever rewards program that allows renters to earn points on rent and build a path towards homeownership.
As Senior Director of People at Bilt Rewards, Ciara O’Sullivan is responsible for the entire lifecycle of an employee at the company – from the moment you see a job description through their entire tenure with the organization.
Her goals as a leader are two-fold: create the best employee experience possible and ensure Bilt’s total compensation and benefits continue to attract, motivate, and retain top talent.
To achieve both goals, Ciara brought in Sequoia One.
Scaling the Company with a Strategic PEO Team
Ciara first started using Sequoia six years ago at the first startup she ever worked with, and she had such a seamless experience that she’s been “hooked ever since.”
“From the moment I joined Bilt, I knew that I wanted to bring Sequoia in as soon as we could,” explained Ciara. “We joined Sequoia at 40 employees the year of our Beta launch, and now, here we are at 140 employees just over two years later.”
As the company continues to grow, Bilt relies on the PEO team to ensure their employees’ “basic human needs” are met.
“My team at Sequoia guides our path forward by pointing out what healthcare plans our employees are actually using, what companies with our demographics are moving towards this year, and how we benchmark against our competition,” Ciara said. “Everything that I would normally be stressed about trying to figure out on my own is entirely done by Sequoia. They bring industry knowledge that is invaluable to us and takes care of our people.”
We’ve frankly been blown away by both Comp OS and the Compensation Advisory services Sequoia offers.![](https://www.sequoia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/quotes-end.png)
Working with Their PEO Team to Create a Total Comp and Benefits Strategy
While healthcare benefits, payroll, and compliance are all necessary to help the company scale, Bilt is taking advantage of Sequoia’s innovative technology and services to build out their total comp and benefits offerings.
As a fast-paced workplace, it’s important that Bilt employees feel happy, productive, and engaged – and total rewards are key to achieving this.
“We’re working with Sequoia to organize our foundational comp strategy – our compensation philosophy, equity data, job leveling, basically everything we need to understand our people spend – it’s all right there in the Sequoia People Platform,” Ciara explained. “We’ve frankly been blown away by both Comp OS and the Compensation Advisory services Sequoia offers.”
In addition to compensation, Bilt has added a Sequoia Wellbeing Bundle to meet the diverse needs of their employees.
“Rather than going directly through each vendor, whose prices were astronomical, we go through Sequoia and get multiple amazing offerings as a single, cost-effective solution,” Ciara shared.
Examples of some of the vendors in Bilt’s current plan include One Medical, Origin, Pelago, Spring Health, and Rightway. The company is also adding Carrot Fertility and Wellhub to their bundle next month.
Ciara added, “We’re so happy that we can offer our employees resources that are supportive to them in any and all phases of life. Whether you’re looking for an urgent care alternative, therapy, fertility support, or just a nearby gym, we’ve got you covered.”
The Icing on the Cake
By going beyond traditional outsourced HR services and partnering with their PEO team, Bilt has been able to reallocate resources and prioritize what matters most: their people.
“Sequoia has allowed me to focus on the things that are important to us,” said Ciara. “I don’t need to negotiate with insurance companies, fumble through Excel, or figure out parental leaves, for example. I trust that everything Sequoia is doing is correct, and most importantly, right for us.”
One of the areas Ciara said she’s excited to spend more time on is the company’s quarterly onboarding event, where they present employees with customized letterman jackets and create a fun cultural moment for all to celebrate.
“I like to think of HR as a cake,” said Ciara. “Sequoia takes care of the base of the cake, the strong foundation. My team gets to focus on the fun part, frosting – the creative things we get to do to make this company the best place to work.”
![ciara_osullivan Sequoia One compensation benchmarking helped Luma job level](https://www.sequoia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ciara_osullivan.png)
Meet the Client
Sr. Director of People
Sequoia Delivers
Sequoia supports Bilt’s mission by delivering the following key services and products:
Bilt relies on Sequoia’s guidance and technology to create the best employee experience
Sequoia One PEO
HR outsourcing, payroll services, and benefits for small businesses
Sequoia One has everything small businesses need to grow quickly and confidently. With our expertly-designed PEO services, we'll help you proudly elevate your employee experience while freeing up your internal resources to focus on your core mission.
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.