Workleap Acquires Barley to Unify Performance and Compensation Management
Workleap, a leading Canadian software company focused on AI-powered talent management, has acquired Barley, an end-to-end compensation management platform. This strategic acquisition brings performance and compensation together in a single, unified system, transforming how organizations recognize and reward their talent.
Historically managed through siloed tools and spreadsheets, performance and compensation are now integrated to create a streamlined, data-driven process. The result is enhanced transparency, consistency, and alignment—core elements in elevating employee satisfaction, retention, and engagement.
“Performance and compensation are never too far away from each other,” said Simon De Baene, CEO and co-founder of Workleap. “Workleap gives you the signal, and Barley gives you the confidence to act on it. Together, they close the loop between how people perform and how they are rewarded.”
With Barley now part of the Workleap platform, HR teams and managers can seamlessly move from performance reviews and goal tracking to compensation planning—all within one ecosystem. The integrated tools offer:
- Flexible review cycles
- AI-powered performance summaries
- 360° feedback and goal tracking
- Intuitive compensation workflows that eliminate spreadsheets
- Data-driven salary planning aligned with company budgets and policies
This connected experience reduces manual effort, improves pay equity, and enhances talent retention—all while empowering managers with smarter compensation decisions.
Barley’s integration complements Workleap’s existing products, including Officevibe and Workleap Performance, enriching the overall talent management platform with deeper compensation insights and planning capabilities.
“We started Barley to help companies make proactive, data-informed compensation decisions that are easy for employees to understand,” said Jafar Owainati, CEO and co-founder of Barley. “Joining Workleap was a natural progression, allowing us to address a broader HR landscape and continue building trust between employers and employees.”
This acquisition is Workleap’s third, following its earlier purchases of Didacte in February 2023 and Pingboard in December 2023. It also reflects the company’s accelerated growth strategy, backed by a $125M CAD investment from CDPQ, aimed at simplifying work and modernizing HR operations.
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