An organization and its affiliates wanted benefit programs that created a sense of belonging for their 6,000 employees and fostered a more productive workforce.
The organization’s absence vendor was not meeting expectations for helping employees with leaves of absence, disabilities, and accommodations. The vendor struggled to provide a positive experience for employees and had problems meeting compliance requirements.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGE
The organization tried to correct the issues with the vendor, and leadership discussed their concerns with their broker. Ultimately, the organization and broker decided that a new vendor was the solution. They needed an absence management expert that aligned with their culture, offered flexible options, and could easily coordinate with the organization’s leave of absence team. A company that is passionate about absence management would give their employees a better experience.
ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIONS
The broker felt that it was critical for the organization to find a vendor that would be willing to work with cultural and employee experience expectations. It was crucial for the organization to meet with the vendors as part of the proposal process to get a feel for the vendors’ knowledge base, approach to leave management, and communication. The organization also wanted to closely review the vendors’ references, believing that comments from companies that worked with the vendors could be very revealing.
After completing a thorough evaluation, the broker recommended Workpartners® as the solution for the organization.
THE WORKPARTNERS SOLUTION
Workpartners’ culture, flexibility, and ability to customize absence programs fit what the organization was seeking in a new vendor. Workpartners stood out from its competitors because of its outstanding service and experienced team of experts who give employees personalized attention (as shown by the company’s 98 percent client retention rate).
Workpartners and the organization were in agreement on the importance of excellent communication to ensure quality and satisfaction within the relationship. In addition, Workpartners’ advanced technology made intake and reporting more streamlined and powerful.
Within four months, Workpartners had implemented a new leave of absence program. The team asked the organization clarifying questions and created clear documentation. This helped avoid the missteps of the previous vendor and allowed for quick program implementation.
Workpartners’ support team built a rapport with the organization’s leave specialists and set norms for working together. They also worked to ensure that Workpartners’ technology seamlessly integrated with the organization’s existing systems.
Even after the new program went live, Workpartners continued to review workflow and communications processes with the organization. The team assessed the effectiveness of the new processes and integrations and made corrections as needed.
A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP
Workpartners follows a proven blueprint for creating a successful partnership with a leave of absence client:
- Align with the client’s company culture and be flexible enough to adjust programs to meet client-specific needs.
- Listen to clients. Collaboration and communication between Workpartners and the client are keys to success.
- Foster a positive working relationship that includes good humor, patience, and grace.
To learn more about Workpartners’ leave of absence program, start a conversation with us.