This interview is part of a series on Workology that features an HR Technology company, its innovators and its features. For this post, we’re talking to Jason Hall, CEO of Benefit Resource (BRI).
Jason Hall joined BRI in 2014 and served as the Director of Business Development and Chief Operating Officer before taking on the role of CEO in 2019. Prior to joining BRI, Jason led corporate development efforts for a division of Carestream Health, a provider of medical imaging systems and IT solutions. Jason was also a Vice President at DeltaPoint Capital Management, a lower middle market private equity firm.
Jason Hall, CEO of Benefit Resource (BRI)
Q: Can you tell us a bit about how Benefit Resource works with employers?
BRI works with employers to ensure they and their employees are maximizing their benefits and savings through the use of consumer-driven benefit accounts. We pride ourselves on offering a unique blend of dedicated service, innovative payment experiences, and simplified education to create a comprehensive benefit account solution. With nearly 30 years of experience, BRI supports more than 350,000 participants with more than 5,500 employer plans nationwide (ranging from small employers to Fortune 500 companies).
Q: How does Benefit Resource support employee engagement?
At BRI, we believe if we create an extraordinary employee experience, our teams can deliver a superior client experience. Although the pandemic has shaken up the last two years and shifted the day-to-day operations, BRI has remained focused on prioritizing employee and customer connections. Although we’re not all in the office, BRI hosts webinars, team activities, and virtual events to stay connected. BRI implemented live chat features and virtual how-to guides for employees and customers to utilize to ease the transition to remote working. BRI has kept employee satisfaction at the forefront and client retention at an all-time high by championing new ideas for engagement.
Q: What is one primary change you have seen in the benefits space following the pandemic shutdown?
Employers are looking more holistically at benefits, and many are considering how benefits should change in a world where working 9 to 5 in the office is no longer the norm. While physical health benefits are still a core tenant, employers are broadening the scope of benefits to include areas such as mental and financial well-being. Additionally, benefits are being viewed from a more dynamic and inclusive lens in order to better serve the vast needs of employees.
Q: What are the most critical things employers and employees should know about HSAs?
From an employee standpoint, HSAs are enabling millions of Americans to more readily pay for their out-of-pocket medical expenses with tax-free dollars. Over the life of an HSA, employees are able to save — and potentially invest — for inevitable medical expenses later in life. The HSA is the most tax-efficient savings vehicle available to employees. For someone who is 25 years from retirement, a $10,000 HSA today could be worth upward of $100,000 at retirement if invested and 100% of those dollars are tax free when used on healthcare expenses. For employers, an HSA, particularly when seeded by the employer, can be a great way to make employees better consumers of healthcare. If employers are giving employees the tools to make more educated decisions about their medical expenses, this will lead to an overall reduction in out-of-pocket costs, which benefits both the employer and the employee.
Q: How can benefit packages help employers retain their best employees?
In this era where the labor market has shifted considerably to favor employees and job seekers, employers need to be making the extra effort to understand the needs of their employees and meet them where they are rather than trotting out the same package of benefits year after year. Flexibility and adaptability have been big themes of the past two years, and I think this applies to how HR and executive teams need to be thinking about benefits. People want to work for an organization they feel can relate to them, and aligning benefits offerings with the mission, vision, and value of the organization is more critical than ever. I believe the employers who can do this successfully will be the ultimate winners in the war for talent.
Learn more about Benefit Resource at this link.
