Being human is core to Wealthsimple’s mission
Hamza Mansour wasn’t taught financial literacy in the home, so he relates to people who are intimidated by words like “investment” and “savings.” That’s why, when he saw how Wealthsimple Technologies Inc. was making money simple and accessible to all Canadians, he knew he wanted to be involved.
“The decision was about more than a job – it was about contributing to Wealthsimple’s mission,” says Mansour, a client experience associate. “I want to be a part of a movement that helps Canadians achieve financial freedom. That’s really powerful and important to me.”
His first stint with Wealthsimple was part of the student program in 2022 when he was hired to promote Wealthsimple’s Cash account, which is the nation’s highest interest chequing account.
It was his first hands-on experience simplifying finances for the public and helped clinch his desire to join the company full time. Today, Mansour feels lucky to be able to help people overcome financial challenges daily.
“I didn’t have a lot of financial knowledge growing up, and I want to help other people who might be in the same position,” he says. “Helping people achieve financial freedom starting at a young age is my passion. It’s something that I love and take pride in, and Wealthsimple allows me to achieve that day in and day out.”
After joining Wealthsimple, Mansour learned that the company’s core values aligned strongly with his own – treating each other with compassion and respect, a shared “maker-owner” mindset that fosters accountability and ownership, and an obsession with the client, to name a few.
From attentive onboarding to a host of employee benefits, including a Wealthsimple Premium account that gives employees access to higher interest savings accounts, lower fees and a number of lifestyle rewards, as well as a generous company equity program, employee care is at the heart of the people-first philosophy.
“Wealthsimple wants to build the world’s most human financial services company,” says head of people Diana McLachlan. “That was very important to me as I made my decision to join the company.”
As the fintech company has grown – 2024 marked its 10-year anniversary – its value to “be human” has remained critical not only to its culture but in how it builds its products and treats clients and employees.
“It’s a foundational element of our business,” says McLachlan.
That drive to put people first has been instrumental in providing employees with progressive benefits, including a remote-first hybrid workplace, generous mental health coverage, and parental leave benefits spanning surrogacy, loss, and birthing or non-birthing parents.
“I’m very proud of our parental benefits,” McLachlan says. “I just returned from my second maternity leave and I had to go through fertility treatment. Wealthsimple was very supportive, both financially and personally.” The company covers up to $20,000 in IVF-related drug costs as part of its benefits.
Benefits are regularly reviewed and refined according to employee feedback – but feedback touches everything Wealthsimple does. It’s a concept called “dogfooding,” McLachlan explains.
“It means that we use our own products,” she says. “Our employees are our clients as well. We want everyone to provide feedback on our products and our programs so we can constantly evolve what we’re building.”
The result is a values-based employee culture that fosters a sense of belonging and helps employees to thrive, particularly for the next generation of workers who are seeking value beyond their paycheque.
“Wealthsimple is unlike any other company I’ve worked for. The culture and the people push and inspire you to perform beyond what you thought was possible,” says Mansour. “It goes to show you how the environment makes all the difference.”