Why Benefits Deserve a Seat at the Strategy Table
In today’s labor market, salary alone doesn’t win loyalty. Top candidates evaluate an employer’s total rewards and, just as importantly, how easy those rewards are to understand and use.
According to Buck’s 2024 Wellbeing and Voluntary Benefits Survey, 55% of employees want a better understanding of their benefits. When employees feel confused or unsupported, benefits become a cost center.
When individuals feel empowered, those same benefits become a powerful tool for retention and recruitment.
Forward-thinking organizations recognize that benefits are more than just an administrative requirement. They are a business lever, one that shapes reputation, strengthens culture, and impacts financial outcomes.
Rethinking ROI: Benefits as a Business Lever
For too long, CFOs and boards have viewed benefits as a cost center. However, modern workforce data indicates that clarity and effective communication have a direct impact on engagement, retention, and even employer reputation. A Payroll Integrations/ASPPA study (2024) found that only 57% of employees feel “very” or “completely” educated about their benefits. That gap translates into preventable turnover and missed opportunities to stand out in the hiring process.
Turning benefits into an advantage means measuring success beyond cost containment:
- Hiring leverage. Candidates view clear, flexible benefits as a sign of organizational stability.
- Retention insurance. Engaged employees are less likely to explore offers elsewhere.
Administrative efficiency. Clear communication reduces HR’s time spent on repetitive questions and corrections.
Talent Is Choosing Clarity and Employers Are Responding
The NFP 2024 U.S. Benefits Trend Report notes that employers who expand voluntary and flexible benefits see higher perceived value, but only when communication is effective.
Eastbridge Consulting’s 2024 report reinforces the same point: voluntary benefits sales reached a record $9.53 billion, indicating that employees are more likely to engage when options are accessible and clearly explained.
Meanwhile, MetLife’s 2024 Workforce Trends Report found that 70% of employees say benefits influence their decision to stay with their employer. That is a direct link between benefit clarity and organizational stability.
These findings confirm what many executives have seen firsthand: benefits education is no longer optional. It is table stakes for attracting and keeping skilled talent.
What Sets Leading Organizations Apart
Consistent, High-Quality Experiences Across the Workforce.
Frontline workers, remote employees, and night-shift teams deserve the same enrollment experience as headquarters staff. Consistency reduces errors and builds trust, qualities that pay off in engagement and retention. BPA ensures this through its virtual-first enrollment, screen-share guidance, and licensed bilingual Benefit Coaches who provide support across shifts and locations.
BPA blends technology with human support because best-in-class benefits administration platforms are powerful, but without human guidance, employees can feel lost. BPA bridges that gap by pairing integrated digital tools with live Benefit Coaches and a dedicated 800 number. This hybrid model scales efficiently while maintaining a personal experience.
Without structured workflows and audit-ready tools, executives worry about compliance and operational risk. BPA’s centralized digital hub integrates with payroll and carrier systems, creating structured workflows that minimize manual tasks and provide audit-ready records—protecting ROI and reducing risk.
Case Study: Genesis Healthcare
Genesis Healthcare serves more than 20,000 employees nationwide. They partnered with BPA to unify benefits communication and streamline the enrollment process.
By utilizing BPA’s customized digital campaigns, multilingual outreach, and a consistent virtual-first process, Genesis achieved higher voluntary benefit participation and fewer last-minute enrollment issues.
The result: HR teams could focus on strategy instead of chasing forms, and leadership gained a clearer view of benefit usage trends.
Practical Steps for Executives and HR Leaders
1. Audit Your Messaging
Ensure benefit communications are visible on job pages, offer letters, and onboarding materials. Candidates and employees should easily see how your organization supports them beyond salary.
2. Measure Understanding, Not Just Enrollment
Track how many employees feel confident in their benefits. Low confidence today is tomorrow’s turnover.
3. Provide Year-Round Education
Open enrollment is just the start. Utilize multiple channels, including digital, voice, and screen-sharing, to keep employees informed.
4. Partner Strategically, Not Transactionally
Vendors process paperwork; partners like BPA invest in your success with scalable support, custom communication, and hybrid tech-human models.
Why This Matters to the C-Suite
Yes, savings are in contract negotiations, vendor selection, or cost-sharing models, but they’re not the whole picture. Real, sustained savings often come from preventing small mistakes that rapidly turn into significant costs.
When employees misinterpret their benefit options, HR teams end up processing corrections after payroll closes, resubmitting carrier files, or chasing down signatures. Each of these tasks may take 20 minutes here, 40 minutes there, but across hundreds or thousands of employees, those hours add up quickly. By implementing structured workflows and digital infrastructure, BPA reduces the need for rework cycles. The impact: HR teams reclaim time for strategic projects, and leadership sees fewer costly disruptions.
Benefits are a strategic asset, not just an HR function. Treating benefits as part of your employer brand strengthens employee retention and protects against costly losses.
According to the sources presented at the beginning of this article, Turnover is expensive, often costing 1.5 to 2 times an employee’s salary. While culture and career paths drive retention, clarity plays a bigger role than many leaders realize.
With BPA, organizations move from firefighting administrative tasks to focusing on higher-value leadership priorities. When employees feel supported in navigating healthcare, dental, or voluntary coverage, they’re not quietly browsing job boards; they’re engaged in their current roles. Every avoided resignation saves recruitment fees, training hours, and productivity losses.
Streamlined Broker Relationships
Brokers design competitive benefits packages, but their work can fall flat if employees don’t engage. That creates a risk for brokers too: clients may question the value of the package and shop around. BPA supports brokers by ensuring benefits education reaches every employee, across shifts and locations. This not only improves participation in voluntary benefits but also strengthens broker-client relationships, helping both sides avoid the hidden costs of disengagement.
Turn Your Benefits Into a Competitive Edge
In a competitive hiring environment, benefits clarity and experience are among the few levers employers fully control. By blending advanced technology with high-touch guidance, BPA helps organizations transform benefits from an overlooked expense into a magnet for talent and a shield against turnover.
To future-proof your workforce and safeguard ROI, make benefits an advantage, not a liability.