Supporting the people securing the internet: HackerOne’s employee leave management strategy

HackerOne is a cybersecurity company on a mission to build a safer internet for everyone. HackerOne’s enterprise offensive security combines human insights with AI automation to detect threats and eliminate vulnerabilities across the entire software development cycle.

Major tech leaders, including Zoom, Salesforce, Uber, and IBM, trust HackerOne to get results. Using the HackerOne platform, companies find at least one critical vulnerability every hour—and see an average $4 million ROI for every critical vulnerability detected before a data breach.

Prioritizing the people pushing the mission

HackerOne’s goal—to make world-class security accessible to everyone—is no small feat. That’s why the company has built a global team of some of the brightest, most innovative minds in cybersecurity.

“HackerOne is an employee-centric company,” said Erica McNairy, Senior People Operations Generalist at HackerOne.

“We believe people do their best at work and beyond when they feel supported, valued, and balanced. So we encourage open communication, flexibility, and taking time to recharge,” explained McNairy.

Along with comprehensive medical coverage for employees and their families, including mental health support, HackerOne offers equity options, retirement plans, paid parental and family caregiver leave, and flexible return-to-work arrangements.

“It’s important to us that we offer leave options to employees at different stages of life,” said McNairy, “whether they’re expanding their family or caring for a grandparent, parent, or sick child.”

HackerOne’s ultimate priority, McNairy said, is creating a supportive environment for employees, both emotionally and practically. “Having trusted partners like Sparrow helps us with our benefits, ensuring our employees get the most out of them,” she explained.

“Having trusted partners like Sparrow helps us with our benefits, ensuring our employees get the most out of them.”

Teaming up with Sparrow for end-to-end leave management

HackerOne partners with Sparrow for full-service employee leave management, handling everything from paperwork to employee communication. “Sparrow’s help has made our leave program smoother and more efficient overall,” McNairy said.

“I really appreciate how Sparrow does the heavy lifting for our team,” she added, “especially because we’re not experts in leave or compliance.”

With HackerOne employees spread across multiple states, compliance is essential—and ever-changing. Along with completing and submitting state benefits paperwork on behalf of HackerOne’s People Ops team, Sparrow also stays up to date on each state’s unique leave policies, so McNairy and her team don’t have to.

“Sparrow supplies all the leave law knowledge,” McNairy explained. “They let us know which states have certain benefits, explain how it affects our employees and processes, and keep us in the loop about new laws.”

“Sparrow’s help has made our leave program smoother and more efficient overall.”

The Sparrow team also works hand in hand with HackerOne employees to help them apply for state benefits. When an employee requests a leave, all McNairy has to do is input the employee’s information into Sparrow’s system, then Sparrow takes over from there.

After an introductory call to go over the employee’s benefits and answer questions, Sparrow fills out and submits paperwork on the employee’s behalf. Then Sparrow Leave Specialists coordinate with the employee’s health insurance providers to get additional information, follow up with state agency representatives, and send McNairy and her team regular updates.

“Our employees really appreciate how on top of everything the Sparrow team is,” she said. “They’re always available to offer help and answer questions.”

Sparrow’s expertise and diligence gives HackerOne employees the freedom to focus solely on themselves and their families during leave, which McNairy said is invaluable. “I never want employees to have to take time out of their leaves to fill out paperwork or figure out the financial aspect of a leave,” she said.

“I really appreciate how Sparrow does the heavy lifting for our team, especially because we're not experts in leave or compliance.”

With Sparrow, they don’t have to. HackerOne employees can check the Sparrow dashboard to see an exact breakdown of their leave pay: how much, which portion comes from their state versus HackerOne, and when to expect each paycheck.

McNairy said HackerOne’s payroll manager loves the dashboard as well. “He appreciates seeing the pay dates and pay breakdown, which makes running payroll seamless,” she explained. Sparrow sets up automatic payroll calculations for HackerOne and creates custom payroll reports as well.

“I love the dashboard, too,” McNairy added. “It gives me a clearer understanding of all our company leaves, especially when I have to input leave dates into Workday.”

At every step of the leave management process, the Sparrow team delivers proactive, thoughtful service. “Everyone we’ve worked with at Sparrow is always available, responsive, and receptive to feedback,” McNairy said.

“Sparrow supplies all the leave law knowledge. They let us know which states have certain benefits, explain how it affects our employees and processes, and keep us in the loop about new laws.”

Establishing trust together

Partnering with Sparrow to manage employee leave has reduced the administrative load of HackerOne’s People Ops team and given HackerOne employees a calmer, more straightforward leave experience.

“My favorite part of working with Sparrow is the trust I have in them,” said McNairy. “I can go to sleep at night knowing that a person going on maternity leave tomorrow won’t have any issues with their leave, as far as the process itself.”

The Sparrow team’s suggestions and forward thinking have also been crucial to the People Ops team’s overall strategy.

“Our employees really appreciate how on top of everything the Sparrow team is. They’re always available to offer help and answer questions.”

“Sparrow provides valuable feedback and insights that help us make more informed, data-driven decisions,” McNairy explained. “I like the fact that they give us recommendations and ideas that we can take back to our broader team and use to enhance our leave benefits.”

For McNairy and her team, the partnership with Sparrow also brings HackerOne’s mission full circle: a positive leave experience makes for happier, more engaged employees who will, in turn, further the company’s mission to build a safer internet.

“And a secure internet ultimately benefits everyone, our partners included,” said McNairy.

Turn employee leave management over to a partner you trust. At Sparrow, we save your admins time without sacrificing the employee experience. Learn more about our solutions or book a demo today.