Chief Listening Officer

We’ll be celebrating HR on September 26, National HR Professionals Day. While this newsletter is already our bi-weekly ode to HR, we simply can’t turn down a prime opportunity to celebrate the people who make so many things possible in today’s workplaces.  

From creating great cultures and championing wellbeing to protecting the bottom line and our paychecks, our blue sparkle goes out to HR teams across the globe this week—Chief Listening, People, and Culture Officers. 

Are you doing something special to celebrate? We’d love to hear about it in the comments! 

Here’s what we’re covering in this edition:  

• This one culture must-have is the key to cultivating employee delight 
• You hear a lot—let’s put those insights to good use 
• These insights are helping our clients drive real impact 

Plus, news you might have missed. 

Let’s dive in.  

You can’t spell “happier” without H+R 

“I firmly believe there are two types of companies: Those that believe their employees are assets, and those that view their employees as expenses.” – Rae Shanahan, Chief Strategy Officer at Businessolver 

Culture isn’t an afterthought. It’s the lifeblood of your organization—and that’s backed by 10 years of our State of Workplace Empathy data. But when employees don’t feel that heartbeat at work, they’re more likely to leave.  

Our latest Empathy study looks at how DEIB initiatives play a role in creating such a culture. Here are a few stand-out stats: 

• Employees are 20% more likely to say their employer is empathetic when DEIB initiatives are present 
• But when DEIB isn’t present or visible, employees are 35% more likely to leave 
• Gen X and Millennial employees—the majority of today’s workforce—are the most likely to expect meaningful DEIB action, yet over half of these employees say their employer spends more time talking about DEIB than implementing it.

The bottom line: DEIB is a pillar of your organization’s overall strategy regardless of label. 

Read our latest State of Workplace Empathy report on DEIB 

A listening ear 

You wear a lot of hats: Mediator, compliance guru, benefits manager, troubleshooter, program developer… the list goes on (and on… and on…). The one thing each of those hats have in common? Listening.  

As Chief Listening Officers, you’ve got a good pulse on your organization, like what your employees want out of their benefits.  

So, when we asked you what your benefits priorities are for the next 2-3 years, your responses were loud and clear: Engage employees and drive down total spend. The key to unlocking both might be more accessible than you think.  

Our 2025 Benefits Insights report found that when AI helps personalize the benefits experience, they’re more likely to stay engaged after enrollment. Here’s what that looks like for our clients: 

• 69% of employees use personalized decision support at enrollment when it’s available to them for help making right-fit benefits decisions. 
• 3X lift in voluntary benefit enrollment when the experience is tailored to each employees’ needs.
• More than a third of employees log in 4 or more times after enrollment to view, manage, or use their benefits.  

Looking to modernize your benefits program? We’ve got your case for personalized benefits right here. 

Data sommelier 

As Chief Listening Officers, HR leaders are also data sommeliers—responsible for carefully curating insights from a vast cellar of information: enrollment statistics, employee feedback, service center trends, and preference surveys. The goal isn’t to drown in the data, but to pour the right blend of insights at the right time to shape strategy. 

So, what’s the right vintage for Q3? Delight and ease of use—two critical components to both driving down costs and keeping your people engaged.  

Here’s a look at some insights we think would pair well with your strategy:  

• 7 in 10 employees use decision support at enrollment when it’s available, helping them understand which benefits are the right fit for their needs, including voluntary options and no-cost point solutions. 
• Employees are 129% more likely to pair an HDHP with an HSA when guided by decision support, which can save millions in premium spend for everyone.
• Employee preference surveys reveal generational divides, a reminder that the right mix of offerings is key to retention across demographics. 

Having the right technology at enrollment can drive positive outcomes for your organization and your workforce. Here’s a look at how. 

Plus, news you might have missed 

Allison Wallace, CLO at Businessolver, on how legal is HR’s new work bestie 

Marcy Klipfel, our own Chief Listening Officer at Businessolver, outlines how her team uses AI to power people strategies 

Madicyn Maines, Businessolver’s Director of Consumer Experience (AKA, another Chief Listening Officer) talks about how to make your benefits communications strategy work smarter.