In May 2020, Indeed employees received a very special update from our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) regarding a new perk. The perk is called YOU Day, and the idea was derived from an employee suggestion during a company-wide meeting. The importance of self-care and mental health was discussed at length in monthly Q&A sessions during the pandemic, prompting an Indeedian to suggest a global company holiday. Leadership took action and we had our very first YOU day on May 22, 2020. YOU days have since become a highly anticipated monthly tradition #insideindeed! In this blog, you’ll read several YOU day tales from Indeedians across the globe.
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Kenny – Senior Manager, Business Strategy (America)
What do you love about YOU day?
I love EVERYTHING about YOU Days and can honestly say it is my favorite perk of working at Indeed. To me, YOU Days represent freedom to spend my time in a way that is most meaningful to me as well as a commitment from Indeed to invest in our well-being and happiness. Great organizations deeply understand the importance of investing in their people – empowering them to become the best version of themselves not only in the workplace but also in their personal lives. I think we’ve all experienced that sinking sensation when we take time off individually and the work begins to pile up because everyone is still working. YOU Days afford us the opportunity to step away as one big Indeed community and enjoy the fruits of our hard work.
What were you doing in the pictured YOU Day?
This particular YOU Day, I told my kids we would spend the day together doing whatever they wanted to spend the time doing. Our first pitstop was to grab a few slices of pizza then we decided to spend the rest of the day Go Karting. They can be pretty competitive (I have no clue where they get that from), and we had an amazing time vying for first place around the track. It was a beautiful memory with my kids, and I wholeheartedly believe the fact that it was a YOU Day gave me a much deeper appreciation of the time we were able to spend together.
To me, YOU Days represent freedom to spend my time in a way that is most meaningful to me as well as a commitment from Indeed to invest in our well-being and happiness.
How has YOU Day impacted your life?
Having the time to sleep in, get caught up on a few errands, and then spend the afternoon Go-Karting with my kids filled me with a deep sense of gratitude for the amazing culture we have at Indeed, and is inspiring me to show up as the best version of myself every single day. YOU Days are a monthly reminder that I work at an amazing company that’s willing to invest in its people. It’s one of the most empowering aspects of working at Indeed and it makes me want to do my best work when I return to work. As the above picture captures, YOU Days are not only helping me become a better Indeedian, but also a better father, husband, and human being.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU Days or working at Indeed in general?
At Indeed, our mission is to help people get jobs. Jobs provide us with a sense of identity, allow us to contribute to society in meaningful ways and account for a large majority of how we spend our time on a daily basis. I am truly grateful for the world-class culture we have at Indeed. Not only do we have a deeply meaningful mission, but we also live the values that make work a truly rewarding part of our lives.
Tam – Manager, Diversity and Inclusion (Ireland)
What do you love about YOU day?
For me, YOU day is an opportunity to spend special moments with my family! As a mum to a little girl who is two, these are days and moments that I can’t get back, so YOU days are a wonderful benefit that help me to balance all of the pieces of my life.
What were you doing in the pictured YOU day?
This is a day at the Zoo with my husband and daughter and it was actually my first YOU day at the company! We were so excited to be together on a workday with her, take her out of daycare and treat her to a special moment. As soon as I walked through the doors of the zoo I bumped into Roisin, the wonderful recruiter who brought me to Indeed! It was such a joy to see her and her family and introduce her to my husband and daughter. It brought us closer together as partners in the business and we discussed how impactful YOU days are for us as parents.
How has YOU day impacted your life?
YOU days bring me closer to my family! They allow me to focus solely on family, and these are memories and moments that have a real impact on my happiness!
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU days or working at Indeed in general?
As you can see in the pic of my colleague and me, we LOVE swag here at Indeed! This was us preparing for a presentation by one of the teams in the business, and the leader of that team went out of their way to gift us a matching t-shirt – even though we belonged to a different business unit. These are moments of inclusion that help me to feel a real sense of community and connection at Indeed!
Calvin – Senior Project Manager, Product (America)
What do you love about YOU day?
I love having a designated day off each month, and I make it a point to either couple it with additional PTO for a trip somewhere, or to focus on some self-care for the day such as a gym day, massage, a hike, etc. The fact that this is a company-wide day off removes the pressure of needing to respond to emails that tend to pile up when you’re out of the office.
What were you doing in the pictured YOU day?
For one of my YOU days this year, I decided to pair it with some PTO and headed to Costa Rica for a solo backpacking trip through the western part of the country. In the photo, I was on top of a mountain directly across from Arenal Volcano. It was such a refreshing trip and I met so many amazing people from different countries such as Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. Costa Rica is brilliant, and there’s beautiful nature everywhere. The environment is filled with life, and I felt very connected to the world during this adventure.
How has YOU day impacted your life?
YOU days have certainly helped as a way to destress and/or to catch up with all the things in life that tend to add up. Whether it be self-care, a dentist appointment, house chores, or sleep debt; having an additional day off is incredibly useful.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU days or working at Indeed in general?
Indeed’s offering of open PTO, flex work (hybrid and remote options depending on the role), and YOU days have granted me a better work-life balance. These perks are a great way of maintaining mental health and balance in my life. Take care of your health – as one of my colleagues has said before, “Choose your PTO/leave, and don’t let your leave choose you.”
Michelle – Sales Team Lead (America)
What do you love about YOU day?
I love YOU days because they allow me to unplug and do something for ME!
What were you doing in the pictured YOU day?
During one of my recent YOU days, I had the opportunity to hike the Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland. I was able to plan this triparound my YOU day, so that I could spend a long weekend in the area. My group and I hiked 8 miles round trip to watch the erupting volcano and took a few hours to sit back and appreciate mother nature. I really enjoy hiking, and I have a whole collection of YOU day photos featuring me doing what I love most – getting active outdoors!
How has YOU day impacted your life?
YOU days have really opened my eyes to how important work-life balance is, and a company that truly cares about my mental health! They have allowed me to unplug more and spend time with friends and family.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU days or working at Indeed in general?
Working at Indeed has been the best decision of my life! I have been surrounded by supportive people who value me and help me grow in my career. I have enjoyed the group I work with so much, that they have become like family. Many times, if I am not spending my YOU days traveling and hiking, I spend them hanging out with coworkers!
Shivashankar – Office Manager, Employee Experience (India)
What do you love about YOU day?
It gives me time to rejuvenate and my own ME time.
What were you doing in the pictured YOU day?
YOU day allowed me to take a long weekend, and go for a bike ride in the Western Ghats! My friend and I had always dreamed of exploring and riding in the green, misty, wetland. It’s beautiful and abundant with flora and fauna! We rode through the forest, explored the waterfalls, and snapped a few photos with our Indeed Cotopaxi bags.
How has YOU day impacted your life?
My weekends are easily overcome with chores and personal work. Having another day off alongside the weekend is irreplaceable, it gives me time to truly unwind.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU days or working at Indeed in general?
Indeed has raised the standards of work culture by adding YOU days to our benefits.
Delphine – Associate Localization Project Manager, Product (Ireland)
What do you love about YOU day?
I love our YOU Days because they give me an opportunity to enjoy time off without having to worry about catching up with my emails and work when I come back. I am able to turn off my “work-brain” for 3 days and come back relaxed on Monday!
What were you doing in the pictured YOU day?
I normally spend YOU days traveling to Donegal to see my in-laws. Those 3 days are priceless to foster the relationship between my son and his grandparents. Thanks to YOU Days we have 3 days to see the family, meet our friends, walk and play on the beach.
Now that my son can walk, our YOU Day walks on the beach have turned into beach clean-ups too. My son is still too young to hold the litter picker but he loves to help and has become a very efficient cleaning partner! I’m glad to have this opportunity to teach him to respect, and take care of, nature.
How has YOU day impacted your life?
YOU Days have allowed me to take a break once a month without feeling guilty! It has given me space to relax, see my family more often, and find the work-life balance that we all want.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU days or working at Indeed in general?
I know I am lucky to work at Indeed, to have a perk like YOU day. Thanks to Indeed I am able to be a working-mum without the guilt that, too often, still goes with it.
Ebony – Senior Recruiter (Ireland)
What do you love about YOU day?
YOU day is an opportunity to step away from work and to focus on doing the things you love without the worry of what might be waiting in your task list when you get back to work on Monday. It’s a day when you can give yourself permission just to do whatever makes your soul happy. For me this has been getting outdoors to some of my favorite spots which can be overcrowded on the weekends or other holidays.
What were you doing in the pictured YOU day?
My husband, father, and I used the time to take a weekend road trip to beautiful County Kerry, a 4+ hour drive from Dublin. As part of the drive, we went through Connor Pass, which is Ireland’s highest road route with a summit of 410 metres. This photo was taken at the summit. We got an unseasonably sunny and warm day and the views were breathtaking.
How has YOU day impacted your life?
I’m new to Indeed, but it has already made a huge impact for me. I find myself planning ahead on how I can best use the day. Unlike PTO days which are usually booked for family/friend events and other general life tasks, I have made sure that the focus of my YOU days is on things that make ME happy – not that help complete my to-do list 🙂 It’s an opportunity for me to reassess what exactly that means on a monthly basis.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about YOU days or working at Indeed in general?
Ever since my first day in Indeed, I have felt how much emphasis the business places on its core values of inclusion and belonging, and YOU days are just another embodiment of that. What makes Indeed so different from other big tech employers in my mind, is that although we don’t believe in culture-fit (every individual adds something different to Indeeds culture), we’ve somehow managed to bring together nearly 15,000 people that all feel just as passionate about creating a place where everyone is included and belongs. How incredible is that?!
YOU days are in addition to Indeed’s open PTO policy, which grants employees the freedom to take the time they need. As long as it doesn’t negatively impact productivity, the team, or the business, there is no cap on how much time employees can take off. Managers just need to provide approval in advance for any time-off requests.
