Getting Started

Binary.com’s handbook for new employees

 Your guide to the way we work and play

Thank you for choosing Binary.com and making it a great place to work
A message from the CEO

Hello and welcome to Binary.com.

Back in 1999, we set out to create the world’s best platform for trading binary options. First, we had to develop a great place to work. A place
where talented people could offer their most creative ideas. We think we’re getting closer to that goal, and our success reflects it.

This handbook highlights our culture and values, and summarises the way we work. We’ve prepared it to help you feel at home.

We’re pleased you’ve decided to work with us. You’re here because we’re convinced that you have a lot to offer –– and because you think so
too.

Welcome, and thanks for joining us.

Sincerely,
Jean-Yves Sireau
 Binary.com at a glance 01

Teams and responsibilities 07

Corporate culture and values 09

How we work 13
Contents

How do I know if I’m doing ok? 18

Choosing your own path 21

Now it’s your turn 26

 01

Binary.com at a glance
Binary.com is no ordinary workplace. Our progressive values,
combined with the cultural diversity of our workforce,
provide you with the ideal platform to make an impact.
 02

We know you’re eager to get started in your new role. But We have offices in Malta (Birkirkara), Malaysia (Cyberjaya
before you do, we’d like to tell you the Binary.com story. and Labuan), Paraguay (Asunción) and Dubai, plus group
companies in Jersey, the Isle of Man, Costa Rica, the
Let’s start with a small boast: Binary.com is the premier Seychelles, Vanuatu, and the British Virgin Islands. We also
platform for trading binary options on the world’s financial have a group of telecommuters who work remotely from
markets. countries across the globe. You’ll soon get to know them via
Skype, Slack, and email.
Using our website, customers can trade on currencies,
indices, and commodities online, 24/7. We have the most
flexible pricing and the most comprehensive suite of
products available.

We’ve won multiple awards and we’re proud of our

achievements.

We’re customer-focused, and are constantly working on

new and innovative ways to make trading more enjoyable www.binary.com
and rewarding.

Founded in 1999, we’ve gone through a few name changes.

Today, our official group company name is Binary Group Ltd,
but most people refer to us as Binary.com.

We’ve grown rapidly, and now process over a million

transactions a day.
 03
01

A few facts Our work

Ownership Focused on innovation

Binary.com develops and owns its intellectual property. It’s
one of the reasons we’ve been successful. We revolutionised the online trading industry by developing
the systems, methods, and algorithms that gave everyday
Ethical people access to binary options. In the following years, our
Binary.com is ethical. We believe you can run a successful obsessive focus on innovation has allowed us to maintain
business while observing high ethical standards. We are our market-leading appeal to this day.
honest and open with our colleagues, our customers and our
stakeholders, including investors and regulators. This starts with keeping our platform at the cutting edge.

International To do this, we apply consistent coding standards, we pay

Binary.com is multinational just like our customers. Here, very close attention to code quality, and we constantly
you’ll find yourself working with men and women from all re-factor our code to keep it current.
corners of the world.
To ensure product quality, usability, and stability, we
Debt-free consistently have our new code peer-reviewed by senior
We’ve grown from strength to strength since we launched in developers. Our products are also tested with extensive test
2000; we’re debt-free with a robust revenue stream. suites.

We make extensive use of cloud services, and outsource

many of our non-core systems to the cloud.
 04

With over a million database transactions each day, our For many of our customers, Binary.com is more than an
code and systems are highly optimised and scalable. options trading website. It’s also a high-end entertainment
platform and a place where they can learn to trade on global
We open-source numerous components of our systems. financial markets.
Visit our GitHub page (https://github.com/binary-com) to
view our contributions to the community.
Focused on customers
We also pay careful attention to security, with weekly
penetration tests by multiple security researchers, careful Binary.com has over a million registered accounts from all
review and static analysis of our codebase, and a culture of around the world. Our website is available in 11 languages,
security that permeates the company. including Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Vietnamese, and
Chinese.

Focused on user experience We are here for our customers. And we’re justifiably proud
of our long-term relationship with them.
Binary.com’s website strategy is to build a really interesting
and attractive online destination. Our website has been Having said that, we recognise that our customers have a
designed to be intuitive and easily understandable choice. To maintain their loyalty, our job is to keep providing
regardless of a customer’s experience in the financial a superior trading and learning experience.
markets.

We aim to ensure that Binary.com maintains its high ranking

on the leading search engines, and that it remains the go-to
binary options trading platform across Europe and Asia. We
do this by continually adding innovative content and
features, and by keeping it user-friendly.
 05
01

How it all started

Hong Kong-based fund manager and entrepreneur,

Jean-Yves Sireau started developing the systems, methods,
and algorithms for a fixed-odds financial trading system
from his Hong Kong bedroom in 1999.

His vision: to create a market in the most simple derivative

for the masses.
 06
01

Important milestones

BetOnMarkets.com
is successfully We open a new
rebranded as office in Labuan,
Binary.com. We Malaysia as part of
start offering our global business
short-term touch strategy. We also
and no-touch trade receive a licence
types, making us from the Labuan
2000 We set up a 2007 2014 We grow rapidly 2016 2019
one of the most Financial Services
programming comprehensive and now average Authority (Labuan
centre in digital options over one million FSA) to carry out a
Cyberjaya, providers for retail transactions per money-broking
Malaysia. traders. day. business.

BetOnMarkets.com We receive a US We receive a We adopt the We open new

goes live. patent for our Category 3 industry-leading offices in Paraguay
proprietary trading Investment MetaTrader 5 and Dubai to drive
system and Services licence platform to enter further growth in
2004 method. 2013 from the Malta 2015 the spot FX and 2018 South America, the
Financial Services CFD trading Middle East, Africa,
Authority (MFSA) market. and CIS countries.
to operate in the
EU.
 07

Teams and responsibilities

Binary.com consists of a number of teams, each focused on
a core area that contributes to the company’s growth.
 08

Accounts and Payments Compliance and Risk Management

Manages our bank accounts, e-wallet systems, and the high Manages our worldwide licences and ensures compliance
volume of payment transactions. with regulations.

Customer Support Human Resources

Manages customer queries via live chat, telephone, and Oversees functions that are integral to employee
email. performance, company culture, recruitment, and office
operations.
Internal Audit
Improves systems and processes across the company to Information Technology
drive overall efficiency. Develops and maintains the Binary.com website, platforms,
and underlying system infrastructure.
Marketing
Manages marketing campaigns, as well as relationships with Quality Assurance
business partners and affiliates. Reviews new code and ensures compliance with business
and functional needs.
Quantitative Analysis
Develops pricing algorithms and manages risk analysis Business Intelligence
systems. Governs the utilisation of data and performs analysis on the
company's business processes and systems while providing
Product Design insights for growth.
Advocates for the user and strives for intuitive, beautiful,
user-centric design and content.
 09

Corporate culture and values

Our culture and our values drive the way we operate and
manage the business. The following statements sum up how
we aspire to work together to achieve our goals.
 10

Culture

We make every effort to encourage a unified workplace Our people believe in and support each other, and
free of office politics. There is no ‘them and us’ –– only many are friends outside the office. We actively
a collective ‘we’. encourage bonding and team building by sponsoring
company trips and social events.
We encourage open communication, transparency,
and the free-flow of ideas and information across the We look for people who see Binary.com as their home,
company. not those who intend to stay for only a year or two.

We encourage disagreements, as long as they’re about We recruit smart, flexible, and innovative people who
our work processes and strategy –– not about people are eager to learn from each other, and who possess a
or personal issues. Here, everyone's opinion is valued, spirit of adventure. We recruit top talent from all
so please feel free to disagree with your colleagues if around the world, and have many nationalities within
you believe they’re wrong about a work-related the company.
problem.

We expect each of our managers to be competent in his

or her domain. Their mission is to become ‘servant
leaders’ who constantly try to help and coach their
teammates.
 11

Values

We practise four core values that shape our culture and drive our long-term growth:

Competence Integrity
We love to work with smart and talented people who are eager We believe that we should always do the right thing. This
to roll up their sleeves and get things done. includes serving our customers with honesty and transparency,
settling all contracts by the book, and communicating in plain
Teamwork language that can be easily understood.
We value positive team players who can work together to
overcome challenges and achieve common goals. We are convinced that by practising our core values, we’ll
achieve sustainable success.
Customer focus
We always put our customers first and dedicate ourselves to
building products and services with the best experience
possible.
 12

Leadership

At Binary.com, whatever their position, we encourage our people to think and act like a leader. We appoint to team-lead or department-head
roles people who succeed at exhibiting the following traits:

Humble Empathetic
Leaders are keen to learn, to share credit with their team Leaders are compassionate, and help others reach their
members, and take on any job, no matter how menial. goals.

Customer-focused Team-focused
Leaders serve our customers first, as they know they are Leaders solve problems for the team, the company, and
also serving the interests of the business. the customer, not for themselves.

Optimistic Adaptable
Leaders try new things and focus on what can go right. Leaders are willing to adapt and adjust as situations
change.

Focused on execution Teachers

Leaders are good at planning, but awesome at execution. Leaders help people learn, and help to build teams.
 13

How we work
Binary.com has a unique, collaborative culture that employs
teamwork as the driving force behind personal and business
growth.
 14

The big picture Flat organisational structure

Let’s start with the basics. At Binary.com, we put teamwork A structured chain of command is used by organisations
first. We work together to achieve great things. We’re seeking predictability and obedience.
convinced that our team-centric approach to solving
problems and meeting challenges makes us stronger. But that’s not us.

And we genuinely believe that our company is our people. Our organisational structure is flat, simple, and lean with
We care for the health and well-being of our people, and accessible team leaders. It has been instrumental in
believe that work should be challenging and enjoyable. building an adaptive, innovation-friendly company, and
empowering our employees to take charge, help make
decisions, and feel responsible for our success.

Having a flat structure means that everyone can, and

should, question each other’s work. It’s the ideal model for
innovation.
 15

Flexibility What’s my role?

You won’t find needless bureaucracy, fixed rules, and red Binary.com is a growing company. That means we get to
tape at Binary.com. That’s because we look for people who wear a lot of hats, and not just the one we were hired to
are self-motivated and enjoy their work. wear.

When it comes to working hours, we observe a 40-hour Being nimble, lateral thinkers, we enjoy having fluid roles. It
week with flexitime. We also don’t have a company dress makes our work more stimulating, and the day seems to go
code. If you want to wear a suit and tie, go right ahead. But faster.
if you prefer a T-shirt and jeans, that’s fine as well.
Having flexible roles also allows us to broaden our skills in a
way that wouldn’t be possible in a large organisation.

If you find yourself in an unfamiliar role, don’t worry. Ask

questions, stay calm, and learn as much as you can.
 16

Work-life balance What if I mess things up?

We work hard to find exceptional people, and we want to If you don’t screw things up from time to time, it could mean
keep them fresh. Not worn out and worn down by the daily that you aren’t trying hard enough.
grind.
We regard making mistakes as part of learning. After all, trial
Sure, there are times when we have to work extra hours to and error is a critical problem-solving technique.
meet a deadline, but we don’t think you should have to work
overtime for extended periods. So feel free to reach out and take us in a new direction ––
and accept the fact that there will be some bumps along the
If you do find yourself working longer hours, or just feel like way.
your work-life balance is out of alignment, make sure you
talk it over with your supervisor and try to sort it out before
it affects your work.
 17

Office environment Dealing with stress

We have an open floor plan that encourages communication Our large and growing customer base places constant strain
and cooperation, as well as private rooms where you can on our systems, requiring us to work on the scalability and
work without distraction. performance of our infrastructure.

We believe in giving people the best tools money can buy. It also creates a dynamic workplace, as we continually need
For example, we give everyone a quality MacBook or to adapt to grow. For each of us, it means we need to work
Chromebook to work on. fast, and be adaptable and responsive to our customers’
needs.
When you need nourishment, there's complimentary fruits
and drinks in the pantry, as well as good quality coffee. It can be stressful working here, but usually in a good way.
 18

How do I know if I’m doing ok?

Are you performing to the best of your ability? Even though
we have formal appraisals twice a year, we believe in giving
regular feedback to let you know how you’re doing and what
you can do to improve.
 19

Appraising your work performance The appraisal form focuses on the following areas:

At Binary.com, we don’t believe that constructive feedback How valuable are your skills to
Skills
on your work performance should be an annual event. We Binary.com?
prefer to give and receive continual and honest feedback.
That way, issues can be discussed and ironed out as they How well do you work in teams, and
arise. Teamwork
contribute to their success?

Of course, we also have a formal performance appraisal

process where we recognise your achievements, address
Work How productive are you and what
challenges, and agree on objectives that encourage high
performance impact did you have on the company?
performance. We schedule formal appraisals every six
months.
Are you easy to work with? Are you an
Personal traits
optimistic can-do person?
 20

Pay and benefits This way, over time, your pay reflects your value to our
company, and is fair in relation to your colleagues.

We all want to be paid what we think we’re worth. At We also provide an array of employee benefits and
Binary.com, pay is based on two key principles, which are incentives, such as health insurance, an annual bonus
considered best practice in the human resources domain: programme for top performers, company trips, and the
opportunity to take on greater responsibilities.

Internal equity
People who do similar jobs with similar
skill levels should earn similar pay.
External competitiveness
We pay salaries that compare favourably with similar
companies in our geographical area and industry.
 21

Choosing your own path

You’re smart. You’re capable. And sooner or later, you’re
going to be thinking about broadening or deepening your
skill set. No problem. At Binary.com, if you have the talents
you’ll find many opportunities for learning and growth.
 22

Learning new skills

Binary.com is a skills-based business poised at the cutting

edge of technology. Staying at the forefront means that
learning and career development are critical to our success.

We also offer an Educational Assistance Programme so our

employees can reach their full potential while helping
Binary.com to grow.

Learning on the job

No matter what role you were hired for, you’ll soon discover
that you’re surrounded by a group of experts in their fields
–– software development, quantitative analytics, marketing,
finance, and HR.

So, you now have a great opportunity to learn new skills from
them. Take advantage of it: the more you learn about other
disciplines, the more valuable you become.
 23

The quest for a T-shape

We love ‘T-shaped’ people.

If you’re not familiar with the term, it describes a person’s

abilities. The vertical shaft of the T represents the depth of
expertise in a single field, and the horizontal bar represents
how well they collaborate across various disciplines with
experts in other fields.

In a nutshell, T-shaped people are both technical experts in

their fields, as well as generalists. They are well-rounded
and versatile, and are better able to contribute their ideas to
a discussion and take on different roles as work changes.

To us, T-shaped people are really valuable. We give them all

the tools and opportunities they need to develop and
succeed. We suggest you grab those opportunities with
both hands.
 24

Getting ahead Finding new talent

Sooner or later, people begin to think about advancement. Binary.com is a rapidly growing company in a very
competitive industry. To stay on top, we are always looking
The good news is that we’re a meritocracy: we promote our for new talent.
most talented people. So, if you’re doing a great job, we’ll
almost always notice. If you meet someone who’s really impressive, and you think
they’d fit into our culture, let us know. To be recruited at
We base our decisions on quantitative outcomes, such as Binary.com, they’ll have to exhibit the same traits we saw in
turnover and client numbers, and not on subjective you:
opinions.

However, if you feel you’ve been overlooked for

advancement, don’t worry. Talk to us. We’re happy to
discuss how you can get to where you’d like to go.

Positive character traits

Technical expertise
Like sound judgment, motivation, communication, and
They’ll need to pass a difficult technical test in which only A teamwork. We assess these traits by requesting that candidates
Players (the top 10% of candidates) succeed. complete a Self-Assessment Topgrading Interview (SATI)
questionnaire.
 25

The future

Our industry is constantly evolving, and there’s a good

chance Binary.com will be a different place in a few years’
time.

And a large part of that change will be because of our

people, like you, who will take us to new and exciting places.

It might be a new app, a new website design, a more

scalable and optimised systems infrastructure, great legal
advice, or innovations that make working at Binary.com
more rewarding.

Whatever it is, we know you’re going to help us make

Binary.com an even better place to work.
 26

Now it’s your turn

After you’ve immersed yourself in the company and
interacted with many of your talented colleagues, you will
form your own opinion about Binary.com. So tell us…
 27

Are we being true to our culture

and our values?

Binary.com isn’t perfect. Like all organisations, we’re always Write down your suggestions and schedule a time to talk
going to be a work in progress. with management about your thoughts.

Which means that, sometimes, under the pressures of Similarly, if you find yourself in a team that you feel isn’t
growing the business, we won’t live up to our stated values, adhering to our stated values, please help us bring the team
as outlined in this handbook. around. Talk with your colleagues who are probably thinking
likewise.
So, once you’ve been here for a few months, we’d love to
have your feedback.

What could be improved?

Is there anything you’ve experienced elsewhere that

we should adopt here?
 28

Finally...

This handbook is also a work in progress. Tell us

what you think. More importantly, give us
suggestions on how to improve it.