I’ve heard from almost every HR administrator I’ve talked to that managing benefits and HR can be time-consuming and error-prone. At Ease, we believe this can be solved with the combined power of the broker and technology. Together, they provide a flexible, customizable HR and benefits technology solution that helps employers save time, reduce errors, and increase employee engagement.
That’s why I would like to share a conversation I had with Joe Moline, the Vice President of Finance and Operations for one of our 30,000 employer groups, Cyber Advisors.
An Introduction to Ease
As an IT company headquartered in Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Cyber Advisors is no stranger to technology. Even before Ease, Cyber Advisors was a firm believer in paperless solutions. “We believe that an electronic trail is better than a paper trail,” said Joe.
“We believe that an electronic trail is better than a paper trail.”
For Joe, his journey with HR and benefits technology started with his long-time broker, Ron Linneman. He relies on Ron and the rest of Western Insurance Agency for the benefit needs of each of his 53 employees, and thinks of him as a “trusted advisor.” When Ron asked Joe if he was interested in online enrollment, Joe didn’t hesitate. He wanted the best service possible from Ron, and if that meant online enrollment, then it was a no brainer.
After he was introduced to Ease, it did not take Joe very long to acclimate to using the system. Western Insurance Agency helped him with the initial setup, and he taught himself the rest. When he had questions, he reached out to Ron. His employees didn’t need a lot of help either. The first year Cyber Advisors used EaseCentral, Western Insurance Agency came and walked employees through how to use Ease. Soon after, they experienced their first open enrollment with technology and without paper.
HR and Benefits Technology in Action
Joe told me that he benefited the most from Ease during open enrollment. “I have saved a significant amount of time managing documents, filing forms and no longer have to worry about where it all is,” he told me.
“I have saved a significant amount of time managing documents, filing forms and no longer have to worry about where it all is.”
Before online enrollment, Joe used a manual checklist to keep track of all of the documentation and paperwork. “With Ease’s HR and benefits technology, I save about 20 hours of work during open enrollment due to online submission of insurance forms. Additionally, each employee at Cyber Advisor saves at least one hour,” said Joe.
“With Ease I save about 20 hours of work during open enrollment thanks to online submission of insurance forms. Additionally, each employee at Cyber Advisor saves at least one hour.”
Joe also touched on the value of using Ease for new hires’ benefits enrollment. “Not only does the system save me two hours of work per new employee, but my employees appreciate the flexibility the system gives them when choosing their benefits,” he said. This flexibility includes being able to determine what the plan is and what it will cost and viewing and enrolling in benefits at home with dependents.
“Not only does the system save me two hours of work per new employee, but my employees appreciate the flexibility the system gives them when choosing their benefits.”
It’s been about three years since Joe first started using online enrollment with Ease and Western Insurance Agency. Within that time, he’s witnessed a difference in the benefit offerings from Western Insurance Agency. The simplicity of setup and enrollment has led to the addition of several supplemental insurance options for employees at Cyber Advisors.
I wrapped up my conversation with Joe by asking him one of my favorite questions: “If you could sum up Online Enrollment in a few words, what would they be? His answer:
“It’s been a great experience for us [Cyber Advisors], there is no going back now. If a broker did not offer online enrollment we would not work with them. It’s absolutely necessary.”
Are you interested in sharing your experience with HR and benefits technology? We’d love to hear from you! Contact raina@ease.com.