The honeymoon phase at Better.com opened with freebies galore. The employees did Zoom scavenger hunts. They did Zoom cooking classes. They were sent tequila and chocolate milk powder and pine boxes branded with the company’s name. They competed for giveaways, including a Peloton. This was the land of corporate-meets-summer-camp, where lunches were covered and training sessions featured funny hats.

Christian Chapman, 41, compared his feelings during Better.com’s orientation to the head rush of a new relationship. The perks were bountiful, the mission was sound and Chapman, a mortgage underwriting trainer, fell fast and hard. “LGTM!” he and his teammates cheered, which stood for “Let’s Get That Money.”