Workleap Acquires Leading Compensation Management Platform Barley to Build the Next Generation of Performance Management

Connect performance and compensation in one seamless flow

MONTRÉAL, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Workleap, a leading Canadian software company building the AI-powered talent management platform teams actually love to use, has acquired Barley, an end-to-end compensation management solution. This acquisition marks a significant step forward in unifying two critical components of talent strategy: performance and compensation. Traditionally managed in isolation through disconnected systems and workflows, these functions are now brought together in one unified platform, enabling HR teams to improve transparency, consistency, and alignment in how they recognize and reward employees.

Compensation is one of the top three drivers of job satisfaction, retention and engagement. Yet, many organizations still rely on manual processes and spreadsheets, limiting their ability to scale or act with precision. By integrating performance and compensation in a single workflow, Workleap offers a more modern, connected approach, helping companies act decisively without compromising fairness or objectivity.

"Performance and compensation are never too far away from each other," said Simon De Baene, CEO and co-founder of Workleap. "A lot of companies want to pay for performance, but most lack the tools to do it well. Workleap gives you the signal, and Barley gives you the confidence to act on it. While performance and compensation are distinct conversations, they will now come together in a unified and streamlined workflow. Together, Workleap and Barley help companies close the loop between how people perform and how they are rewarded." 

With the addition of Barley to the Workleap platform, HR and managers can now go from performance reviews and goal tracking to compensation planning and total rewards, all within the same system. This includes flexible review cycles, AI-powered summaries, 360° feedback, goal tracking, and comprehensive compensation planning that replaces spreadsheets with intuitive workflows and empowers managers to make data-driven compensation decisions aligned with organizational guidelines and budgets. The result is less time spent on manual processes, improved employee retention by proactively addressing compensation issues, and smarter management of what is often a company's largest operational expense.

Alongside its flagship tools, Workleap Officevibe and Workleap Performance, Barley will add another strategic layer to the Workleap Platform, helping organizations retain their top talent, ignite every employee's potential and make their existing HR technology really work.

"We started Barley to tackle the longstanding challenge for organizations to make proactive compensation decisions that are both data-driven and easy for employees to understand — building clarity, trust and equity into every step of the process, with an easy-to-use platform," said Jafar Owainati, CEO and co-founder of Barley. "The Barley solution naturally complements Workleap's existing suite of tools, and joining Workleap was the clear next step for our team. Compensation is just one piece of the broader HR puzzle, and we are now even better positioned to deliver on our mission of building trust between employers and employees."

This marks Workleap's third acquisition, the second one following CDPQ's $125M CAD investment. This latest acquisition further advances the company's growth strategy, market share and product offerings, reinforcing its mission to make work simpler. Workleap's previous acquisitions include Didacte in February 2023 and Pingboard in December 2023.

For more information about how Workleap is empowering the employee experience, visit workleap.com.

About Workleap
Workleap is a Montreal-based tech company on a mission to make work simpler. Since 2006, Workleap has been building game-changing products that tackle HR and ITʼs biggest challenges.

Workleap operates two distinct product lines:

• The Workleap Platform, an AI-powered HR solution designed to drive team performance and boost employee engagement.
• ShareGate, the leading Microsoft 365 migration and governance solution, trusted by IT professionals worldwide for its unmatched simplicity.

Today, more than 20,000 companies rely on Workleap products to grow, lead, and operate with confidence.

Workleap is a team of builders at heart, with a clear purpose: to craft the simplest products that deliver exceptional value for its customers. Period.

About Barley
Barley is a compensation management solution that helps companies make smart and proactive compensation decisions by bringing together pay band management, comp reviews, benchmarking, compensation analytics, and total rewards — all in one easy-to-use-platform.

Forward-thinking businesses use Barley to simplify and optimize their approach to compensation, enabling them to attract top talent, reduce turnover, and meet their pay transparency and pay equity mandates.

Media Contact
Jaclyn Pullen
PANBlast for ShareGate by Workleap
[email protected]

SOURCE Workleap