Human resources professionals face a variety of issues specific to their industry, location and company. But regardless of these differences, most HR executives agree on the top three challenges they face: attracting top talent, ensuring employee retention and planning benefits while managing costs. So what attracts top talent to a new job? What causes them to stay in a current position when presented with other employment opportunities? 

The Importance of Health Benefits

Does recruiting and retaining employees become easier when you offer health insurance? The answer can be found in a Glassdoor Salary Benefits Survey conducted by The Harris Poll. The online recruiting website’s survey polled more than 1,100 adults in the United States who were either employed or unemployed but looking for work. 

The job seekers and current employees shared the top factors they look for at a company. Those were:

• Salary (67%)
• Benefits (63%)
• Location (59%)
• Commute time (43%)
• Employee reviews (32%)

If you are an HR professional, it’s clear that your company’s health insurance and benefits are key to solving your largest challenges. Health insurance helps you attract top talent and retain great employees. But what about planning benefits and managing costs? Where should you turn for health insurance questions and coverage planning?

Insurance Brokers vs. Insurance Agents

While the terms “agent” and “broker” are used almost interchangeably, it pays for human resource managers to discern the difference through your insurance broker interview questions. You’ll first want to determine their affiliation to an insurance carrier, if any. 

An insurance agent generally works on behalf of a single insurance company. Their goal is to help match businesses (or individuals) with plans from that particular provider. In contrast, an insurance broker works for you. They’re not beholden to any one provider. Instead, they help your business choose the right insurance company and plan from many available options.

Insurance Broker Benefits

How can an insurance broker like True Texas Benefits better serve you? An insurance broker can help you find coverage that’s right for your company and employees, regardless of your company’s size, budget or specific needs. You can rely on your broker for: 

Advice: Because a health insurance broker is not beholden to an insurance company, they can provide unbiased information about group coverage and straightforward answers to your health insurance questions. Remember, brokers concentrate on finding the right coverage and provider for your business — not promoting a certain type of plan or particular insurer. 

Advocacy: Once you decide on a plan and provider, the insurance broker goes to bat on your behalf for the duration of your policy. Have a question on health insurance for employee retention or a problem with billing? The broker serves as your advocate in resolving any issues. 

Convenience: By working with an insurance broker, you’ll have an opportunity to compare and contrast multiple plan options from different companies. Through one-on-one counseling with a broker, you gain valuable assistance with planning employee benefits and managing costs.

Expertise: This is the greatest benefit of all. A broker such as True Texas Benefits is a great source of knowledge for the many types of employer-offered insurance plans. 

When you combine voluntary benefits with necessities such as health, dental, vision and life insurance, you offer prospects and employees a well-rounded program that gives them more reasons to stay or join your company.