Hess Corporation

Brent Schwartz

In just the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to make a number of changes to the administration of benefits and payroll programs and I’m here to tell you, things are getting better. Even with continued consolidation of providers, from where I sit, the technology, the service, and the product offerings are getting better, faster, and cheaper. While we often don’t think about innovation and benefits administration in the same thought, I encourage you to get outside your own organization and take a look. Whether that be by doubling down with a current provider or taking a peek outside your ecosystem, if you have not done it recently, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. I’ve personally heard for years that the technology is improving and had my doubts that it would really translate to anything of real value. However, many providers have begun to find the sweet spot between their ability to blend advancements in technology with a layer of knowledgeable services, rapidly advancing and challenging what I thought was possible just a few years ago.

Having done a number of reviews, markets scans, requests for proposals (RFPs), and even some implementations, I’m impressed with where we have arrived and I’m excited for where we can go from here. 

If you’re like me, you are absolutely bombarded with requests to look at the next shiny object on a daily basis and believe me, I tell providers “no” every day. With that being said, I’ve certainly said “yes” to a few opportunities and set aside the time to learn more for both personal and professional development. 

I encourage others to create the space in your calendar and when you do, perhaps consider what can be done with existing and new providers:

Existing Providers

• There is value in getting more from the providers you work with today, especially if you have not explored all they have to offer recently

• Ensure your meeting cadence includes topics on innovation by asking the provider to share their own roadmaps while also volunteering the projects, programs, and objectives being planned in your own organization over the next twelve months

• Many times, your existing relationship manager is not the best positioned to speak to innovation and new products and by asking for roadmap topics, additional resources and ideas can be brought forward to your organization’s benefit

• Ask what their other clients are up to; are they using the same platform and services that you are using or are they moving to the latest and greatest?  Are other clients of similar size and industry or are you the outlier, if so, why?

"Employees are seeing the consumer experience move at a rapid pace outside the walls of your organization and expect more from the experiences, tools, and applications you are offering "

New Providers

• Employees are seeing the consumer experience move at a rapid pace outside the walls of your organization and expect more from the experiences, tools, and applications you are offering; focus on the employee experience first and allow the technology, products, and services to mold around what employees expect

• Share pain points and real examples using service level agreements and data to test the waters of what is possible

• Do your homework, ensure you have explored design, existing processes and document your requirements and your expectations so that you can align with a provider’s approach

• Consider how new providers and products will integrate with your existing platforms and programs

• If you do consider a new provider implementation, move those obligatory reference calls to the front of the process and don’t leave them to the last moment; there’s real value in learning from others mistakes and benefiting from their successes

Our providers are responding, innovating, and delivering every day.  Take the time to explore and you may find things are getting a little better all the time.