How ZipRecruiter manages employee leaves in multiple states and countries

The number one hiring site in the United States*, ZipRecruiter has become the go-to employment resource for job seekers and employers alike. ZipRecruiter’s mission is to actively connect people to their next great opportunity. In the process, the company streamlines every step of recruiting and hiring for businesses of all sizes.

Companies that use ZipRecruiter can send jobs to 100+ job boards with one click, easily sort and rate qualified candidates, and proactively reach out to the most appealing prospects, all from one central place. The platform’s candidate matching technology and resume database make the hiring experience even faster and more effective.

Founded in 2010, ZipRecruiter’s marketplace provides employers with access to over 191M job seekers each year* and over 4.5M businesses have come to ZipRecruiter for their hiring needs. Along the way, they’ve grown to over 1,000 employees in the United States, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom

To support their team through major life milestones and transitions, ZipRecruiter uses Sparrow for full-service employee leave management.

Meeting employees where they are, no matter what they’re going through

ZipRecruiter prides itself on hiring and nurturing passionate employees who are actively engaged in their mission. As a Certified Great Place to Work in 2023, the company knows that keeping employees engaged requires supporting them in and out of the workplace.

“I’m very proud to be on the benefits team at ZipRecruiter,” says a Senior Benefits Analyst at ZipRecruiter. “We have a very robust offering.

The employee benefits package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; a flexible wellness stipend; access to wellness and fitness apps; pet insurance; financial planning resources; 401(k) matching; flexible time off; home office stipends; volunteer time off; and paid parental leave.

“Our outlook when it comes to benefits is, ‘Meet employees where they are and help them when they’re having a hard time,’” explained the employee.

That’s why ZipRecruiter also offers mental health support, family planning, gender-affirming care, and fertility support.

“We have all these tools and resources,” the employee added, “which is why Sparrow fits right in—it’s another resource for people who are going through major life changes.”

“The most attractive piece was the support employees get with the one-to-one contact through Sparrow. Our employees have a dedicated Leave Specialist throughout the course of their leave, someone who also helps them with their claims filing, which we didn’t have before.”

The challenge: Giving employees one-on-one leave guidance

Before partnering with Sparrow for full-service employee leave management, ZipRecruiter was searching for leave vendors who could improve their employee experience with leave. ZipRecruiter’s goal: find a vendor who could offer the attentiveness and hands-on guidance the company wanted for employees.

Sparrow stood out for three reasons: excellent employee service, cost savings, and flexibility.

“The most attractive piece was the support employees get with the one-to-one contact through Sparrow,” the employee explained. “Our employees have a dedicated Leave Specialist throughout the course of their leave, someone who also helps them with their claims filing, which we didn’t have before.”

Cost was another key factor. “It was significantly more cost-effective to come to Sparrow,”she  said.

Finally, Sparrow offered an immense amount of flexibility, particularly when it came to accommodating ZipRecruiter’s high intermittent leave volume. “Sparrow has done that, and partnered very closely with us to find solutions that work for their team and ours,” the employee said.

“Recently, an employee came back from a leave Sparrow supported them with and said they didn’t have to do a single thing for their claims. They couldn’t believe how fast Sparrow was, how kind, and how smooth the whole experience was, especially compared to the leave they took at their previous company.”

The solution: Use Sparrow for dedicated employee care

With Sparrow, ZipRecruiter can give their employees the dedicated care they deserve at every step of the leave process. Sparrow Leave Specialists hold introductory calls with each ZipRecruiter employee preparing to take leave; Leave Specialists explain the benefits employees are entitled to, walk employees through the process of filing, and share what to expect at each stage.

From there, Sparrow files for benefits on behalf of ZipRecruiter employees, so they don’t have to fill out paperwork or parse complex claims instructions on their own. Sparrow Leave Specialists also coordinate with state agency representatives and insurance providers for additional information or documents, and send the ZipRecruiter team updates at every point.

“Recently, an employee came back from a leave Sparrow supported them with and said they didn’t have to do a single thing for their claims,” the employee shared. “They couldn’t believe how fast Sparrow was, how kind, and how smooth the whole experience was, especially compared to the leave they took at their previous company.”

In addition to taking care of all the tasks involved in filing for benefits, Sparrow Leave Specialists also help demystify the process, breaking down payments and timelines so ZipRecruiter employees know exactly how much they’re getting, from where, and when.

“When you have a new baby or you’ve just had a surgery or whatever you’re going through, not having to worry about what’s happening with your claim or your pay provides a lot of peace of mind,” she added.

Sparrow simplifies the administrative experience for ZipRecruiter’s internal team, too. “I would drown in work if we did not have Sparrow,” said the employee. “There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to manage this program with the amount of activity we have—it would take two or three of me to do what Sparrow’s team does.”

Not only does Sparrow keep track of leave laws across multiple states and Canada, Sparrow also files all employer paperwork on ZipRecruiter’s behalf, manages deadlines, and streamlines payroll.

“I’m very knowledgeable on the compliance front, but I cannot manage all these states myself,” the employee explained. “Knowing that I can shoot an email off to the Leave Specialist directly or ask to hop on a call is amazing. I know they will keep our plans compliant, and if there’s something I haven’t thought of, they will almost certainly have thought about it.”

Plus, Sparrow sets up automatic payroll calculations for ZipRecruiter employees on leave and generates payroll reports for her and her team. “The custom reports Sparrow’s building for us save me a tremendous amount of time and headaches,” she said.

When you have a new baby or you’ve just had a surgery or whatever you’re going through, not having to worry about what's happening with your claim or your pay provides a lot of peace of mind.”

Plus, Sparrow sets up automatic payroll calculations for ZipRecruiter employees on leave and generates payroll reports for her and her team. “The custom reports Sparrow’s building for us save me a tremendous amount of time and headaches,” she said.

The ZipRecruiter employee also appreciates Sparrow’s dashboard, which shows both a high-level view and granular breakdown of which employees are on leave and for how long.

“I can log in and get a very clear idea of where somebody’s leave is in the process, and I can do that from a variety of places, which is so nice,” she explained. “I can get really into the nitty-gritty by reviewing documentation an employee has submitted, for example, or I can just scan the front page to see who has a pending leave request.”

Another feature ZipRecruiter loves is Sparrow’s HRBP dashboard. “I really like that we have a high-level version of the dashboard not only for managers, but now for our People Business Partners. They can log in and find out if someone is on leave or if they have a leave coming up,” she explained.

“That’s just one more piece of self-service for my team, rather than me being the bottleneck or the gatekeeper of all the information—and I love that,” she said.

ZipRecruiter’s favorite part about working with Sparrow is the collaboration. “It’s very nice to have an open line of communication, where I can share feedback and ask for more support in what I need, and they can be candid with me about options and solutions,” she shared.

“Our Leave Specialist is always thinking through all of the downstream impacts of our choices, working to dig deeper into what we need and accommodate that.”

ZipRecruiter’s relationship with Sparrow is a partnership in every sense of the word: trusting, supportive, and reciprocal.

“The team we have are just absolute rock stars,” she expanded. “I treat my Sparrow team as an extension of my own role, and I think that allows them to really give us the maximum support. They’re invested in us. I’m invested in them. We’re like two peas in a pod.”

“I treat my Sparrow team as an extension of my own role, and I think that allows them to really give us the maximum support. They're invested in us. I'm invested in them. We're like two peas in a pod.”

The result: Happy employees and proactive administrators

Sparrow handling end-to-end leave management is a win across the board for ZipRecruiter. The company doesn’t have to worry about compliance, ZipRecruiter employees get a stress-free leave experience, and arefreed up to focus on important new initiatives.

Her latest project: building a resource library for managers and employees preparing for leave.

“There will be nuts and bolts information like transition plans and FAQs about leave, as well as  recommended reading for new parents and recipe books,” she explained. “It’s going to be everything from work-related logistics and practical home help, to fun insights and offerings.”

The resource library is just one of many great internal developments to come. “I’m very glad to have the time to dedicate to building something wonderful and useful for our new parents,” she said.

Give employees the seamless leave experience they deserve—without adding to your workload. Browse Sparrow’s offerings or book a demo today..

Disclaimers
*Based on G2 satisfaction ratings as of November 19, 2024.
*ZipRecruiter Internal Data, weekly Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024. Includes registered and non-registered users. May be non-unique.