Alegeus Chief Talent Officer Anna Lyons led a discussion with a CHRO panel that included Sherri Kottmann, Chief People Officer for Quickbase, and Cara Weiman, Chief Talent Officer for EAB. In a conversation aimed at empowering benefits administrators, the group discussed winning value propositions and messaging that grabs the attention of key buyers, as well as several frequently asked questions that we’ve captured below.

HR doesn’t need a seat at the table, it is the table. This means that organizations are people powered, and therefore people are creating the momentum. Technology as a differentiator has changed, as everyone has access to the same tools now but not the same talent. Retaining that talent becomes more important than ever, so it is key for organizations to focus on their people, as they are likely their biggest investment.

A good place to start is by looking at where a leader is wasting time and equipping them with resources to be more efficient. This can start with giving managers access to people analytics, organizational trends, hiring and recruiting metrics, and talent movement data to make important decisions. A few data-driven indicators could include questions like “Are we retaining talent?” and “Are we getting the most out of each employee?”

A few areas of focus include building manager capacity, skill building and providing employees with context of broader business goals and how their role and responsibilities fit into these goals. Everyone has a shared goal of productivity, so building capacity and improving experience can lead to higher productivity and results.

People gravitate toward the concept of being able to add value. It’s increasingly important to have conversations with people about how what they are doing matters and how it affects the organization. It involves analyzing what is real — what your company actually values and does every day — and how the people at your company actually feel every day. This might involve a third-party assessment or a conversation among your executive team about what the company’s values are. It’s good practice to do this on a routine basis as a company’s values, purpose and focus might change as the culture continues to evolve.

When it comes to DEI initiatives, a good focus is to build something beyond you, creating a system that will outlive you and promote positive change. This might be less about performative measures like public statements and social media campaigns, and more of a focus on measurable goals for racial representation in hiring, fair wages, better hiring practices, and holding recruiters to these goals and incorporating executive compensation, as well.

Tools can either be an incredible value-add or detract from value and time. A good rule for a tool is to fulfill two Es: empower and ease. Think of managers and leaders and how they make choices that improve the business cycle. A tool should help empower them to make decisions, possibly in the form of data and insights. A tool should also help with ease by improving productivity and/or saving time. Finding the right tools for your organization is a continuous process, especially as tools continue to evolve and new tools and systems are developed.

Lastly, check in with your employees to see if they are using the tools and systems you have in place. An organization can pay for and incorporate the best tools, but if your employees don’t actually use them or find them helpful then they are a wasted investment. People are part of the system, so assessing their needs is key.

Benefits are intricately linked with a company’s culture. Standard benefits have become an expectation and one that employees don’t spend as much time researching as they should. Instead, they are more focused on benefits like lifestyle and maternity leave, and all the “extra” benefits, because those tell them more about a company’s culture upfront. It’s important to offer a standard benefits package and couple it with more sought-after lifestyle benefits that will grab a prospective employee’s attention and meet their updated expectations.

A lot of HR managers don’t have as much time to spend thinking about benefits and which benefits they should offer. If you provide market research knowledge and thought leadership about benefits, it would be valuable. Start by building relationships with people either already in your network or people you would like to be in your network. Stay consistent and pay attention to the problems they are having, then provide data and content to help solve their problems. You may not always receive a response, but building that relationship and staying consistent with content goes a lot further than a hard sell.

To hear the CHRO panel talk through these questions (and more!), you can access the webinar here: WEBINAR: The Employer Perspective