Wallet-friendly streaming service Philo has been named among startup community Built In’s “Best Places to Work” for 2023.
The awards named Philo one of the best places to work in San Francisco, Boston and New York City, where the streaming service maintains offices. The company also received a designation as one of the best mid-sized companies to work for in San Francisco and Boston.
“We’re extremely honored to be recognized as one of the best places to work in all three of our office locations,” Perlie Oni, Philo’s head of people, said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that Philo has grown its headcount by 37 percent over the last year (Built In said Philo currently has around 140 employees, with the majority of those workers in San Francisco).
“In 2023, we plan to continue growing strategically to support rapid user growth, product, and content expansion,” Oni said. “These awards exemplify why Philo is an awesome place to work, and we’re thrilled to be included on the list.”
Built In uses a proprietary algorithm to determine which companies should be awarded a “Best Places to Work” designation. It takes into account certain employee benefits and perks, including compensation, flexible working hours and personal development.
Philo offers its employees a number of perks that are unique to the company, including a $2,000 annual vacation stipend, a $500 per month bonus for workers who spend at least three days per week in a Philo office, and a $5,000 grant for personal development. Philo also gives new employees a $500 stipend to upgrade their home entertainment systems, and $1,000 to upgrade their home offices. Additionally, the company offers health, dental and vision benefits for employees and immediate family members.
“It’s my honor to congratulate this year’s Best Places to Work winners,” Sheridan Orr, the chief marketing officer of Built In, said in a statement. “These exemplary companies understand their people are their most valuable asset, and they’ve stepped up to meet the modern professional’s new expectations, including the desire to work for companies that deliver purpose, growth and inclusion. These winners set the stage for a human-centered future of work, and we can’t wait to see that future unfold.”
In a 2021 blog post, Philo’s Head of Recruiting Max Gardner said the company looks for a few key qualities in its prospective hires, including transparent communication, a sense of humility and a willingness to learn new things.
“Change is necessary at a company like ours, so having a flexible mindset, embracing feedback, and being open to learning new skills can take you far,” Gardner wrote. “At Philo, employees are encouraged to seek new opportunities for growth and are given $5,000 annually to invest in their professional development or educational assistance.”
Gardner said Philo works hard to foster a “diverse, inclusive workplace that welcomes people of all walks of life,” and employees should feel comfortable offering feedback to the company on things it can do to improve in these areas.
“Everyone should feel empowered to share their thoughts and suggestions, no matter what position or stage of their career they’re in — shared passion makes a team,” he wrote, noting that employees are encouraged to “connect in our various public Slack channels instead of in private messages.”
Philo currently has multiple job openings in its design, engineering, marketing and product divisions, including remote opportunities for workers who aren’t near San Francisco, New York or Boston. To view Philo’s job openings, click or tap here.
Philo is a live-streaming television service that offers more than five dozen cable networks delivered over the Internet. The service offers channels from AMC Networks (AMC, IFC, BBC America), A+E Networks (A&E, History Channel, Lifetime, Vice), Paramount Global (MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, BET), Warner Bros Discovery (Discovery, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Travel Channel), Bloomberg, Revry and others, for $25 a month. The service is available across a wide number of devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV (Google TV), newer-model Samsung smart TVs, phones, tablets and on the Philo website.
