How Postman’s approach to employee benefits makes them a top 1%ile employer.

If you’re a software engineer who hasn’t heard of Postman, the odds are high that you’ve accidentally travelled 20-odd years into the future in a time machine.

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While we don’t have flying cars yet, we do have an API platform that’s years ahead of its time, used by 500k companies and loved by over 30 million developers. What began as a side project in 2012 for founder Abhinav Asthana is one of the world’s finest API powerhouses, used by 98% of Fortune 500 companies. 



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Postman’s rapid rise is also attributed to its commitment to hiring the best talent. So much that their hiring process borrows from analytics and systems thinking. To learn more, read their note on the subject.  

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And while they hire the best, Postman does an incredible job at retaining them, boasting of an attrition rate way below the national average of 17%. 



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While we’d love to dive into Postman’s approach to people, this writer is reminded that this is still a case study. So read on for insights from Monika Gunalan, Head of People Ops (APAC) on their approach to employee benefits, and how it puts them in the country’s top one percentile. For their people playbook, go here.

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Postman's digital-first approach to benefits

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A company built for engineers and by engineers, the folks at Postman were looking for a tech-first solution for employee benefits management for three reasons.

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While the better digital experience played a part, none of this would work if the benefits weren’t meaningful enough. And that’s where Postman’s approach stands out.

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Postman’s approach to benefits.

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While the better digital experience played a part, none of this would work if the benefits weren’t meaningful enough. And that’s where Postman’s approach stands out.

Traditionally, companies begin the process with benefits benchmarking, comparing their existing benefits to their peers’, and make decisions accordingly. Postman, on the other hand, lead by speaking to their employees.

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When we evaluate benefits for our employee cohort, I need to remember that the median Postmanaut age, especially in India, is lesser than companies operating in the same space. So, even if benchmarks from 100 companies recommend a certain benefit, it may not make sense for us. I'd rather put my dollars in something that truly works for our team.

- Monika Gunalan
Head of People Ops, APAC.

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This approach has helped Postman craft more meaningful policies. Two specific instances:

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• During the pandemic, Postman was one of the first companies to offer COVID insurance, COVID vaccinations, and mental health support to their employees and their dependents.
• Postman introduced sibling covers after data indicated that most employees had retired parents and minor siblings. This benefit has been adopted by over 26% of the team.

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Historical data is another important point of discussion. Claims data and health benefits adoption, thanks to Plum’s dashboards and digital processes, offer Postman insight into the kind of illnesses their employees and families deal with. This plays a vital role in selecting the type of riders and benefits employees adopt – and appreciate.

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Only then does Postman proceed to do benefits benchmarking.

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Across the entire process, Plum has been super helpful in deriving that data for me. Thanks to their consultative process, I know what other companies are doing, what benefits make sense to my team, and what I need to do to stand out in a competitive market.

- Monika Gunalan
Head of People Ops, APAC.

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Postman and the 2% club

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When we published the State of Employee Benefits 2024, we observed that all companies that go above and beyond for their team have a benefits budget that is approximately 2% of their total compensation budgets.

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Postman’s benefits also reflect their commitment to their diversity goals – with an LQBTQ+ friendly policy covering live-in partners, infertility treatments, differently-abled children, oral chemotherapy and more. They also are early adopters of Plum OPD, offering their team a wallet that they can redeem for treatments that don’t require admission.

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When it comes to treatments like IVF – people are not comfortable talking about whether they need that benefit. It’s possible that only a small section might utilize it. However, I know the kind of lifestyle and the statistics that the industry offers. I know that a lot of people need it, which is why it's important to include it in your benefits package. Even if it makes a difference with a small percentage of employees, it would be worth the investment.

- Monika Gunalan
Head of People Ops, APAC.

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At Plum, our mission is to positively impact the health and financial well-being of every Indian through companies that care. We’re extremely proud to be working with companies like Postman, who understand that employee benefits are a long-term investment in their people, and not an item to tick off a checklist.

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