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We are a top-tier human resource technology and services company supporting various organizations' needs to deliver compliant health & welfare benefits across a broad range of employees.
Each company has a unique link to their own enrollment website. To log into your company’s enrollment website, please contact a representative from your company’s human resources department. They can share the link and log-in directions with you.
In today’s ever-evolving workplace, ensuring that employees understand and make the most of their benefits is crucial. Empyrean’s Plan Review, a key feature of Precision Benefits, empowers employees to make better benefit decisions based on how well their benefits performed last year.
Plan Review allows companies to assess the effectiveness and value of their benefit programs and gauge the impact they have on employee satisfaction, engagement, and overall well-being. This helps organizations determine what benefits resonate the most with their unique workforce.
Precision Benefits ensures your team isn’t over-insured or under-insured, resulting in cost savings for both the company and employees.
How it Works
Empyrean’s Plan Review empowers employees with essential information about the performance of their benefits in the past year. Utilizing a vast database, the system provides feedback at the time of enrollment, enabling employees to save money and confidently explore new benefit options. This feature addresses a common gap in benefits management, as most people are unaware of how their benefits have truly served them in the past. With Empyrean’s Plan Review, employees gain a clearer understanding of how well their benefits suit their needs, enabling them to make better, more informed decisions for the future.
Read How Plan Review Helped Amanda
Amanda is a young and talented remote employee who works diligently from the comfort of her cozy home office. While she enjoys the flexibility of remote work, Amanda understands the importance of taking care of her health and well-being.
Amanda values being proactive about her health choices, and Plan Review perfectly aligns with her approach. One of the key features she loves is the ability to regularly review her healthcare plans to ensure she is in the right one.
With the help of Plan Review from Precision Benefits, Amanda gains access to detailed insights and personalized recommendations regarding her healthcare coverage. She can easily compare different plans, ensuring that her benefits meet her specific needs and preferences.
Watch this video to learn more about how Plan Review helped Amanda.
Empyrean’s Plan Review is more than just a feature; it’s a comprehensive approach to managing and understanding employee benefits. By providing valuable insights into benefit plan performance and healthcare costs, it empowers employees to make informed decisions and plans for their health and financial futures. For employers, it offers a tool to continually adapt and enhance their benefits offerings, ensuring that they meet the needs of their evolving workforce.
Find out how you can empower your people to choose and use the best benefits with Empyrean’s Plan Review.
Digital interactions play a huge role in our daily personal and professional lives. Employers and employees alike are vulnerable to cyberattacks and scams, making everyone susceptible to potential cybersecurity threats.
In this informational session, Empyrean and NortonLifeLock show you how to best protect your digital presence during the holiday season and throughout the year. From phishing scams to fake websites and malicious links, it’s critical to safeguard your personal and financial information – especially if you plan to take advantage of all those Cyber Monday deals!
Navigating the world of employee benefits is no small feat for HR professionals. Ensuring their employees are receiving the best possible service and support from their benefits administration partner is critical to the well-being and satisfaction of their entire workforce.
Among the myriad of benefits service challenges faced by employees, five stand out the most:
Accessibility Challenges: Reaching a service representative shouldn’t feel like a marathon. Yet, for many employees, inconvenient service center hours and prolonged hold times lead to frustration and delayed resolutions. This could force employees to seek direct support from their HR team.
Inconsistency in Service: When service teams aren’t adequately trained, it leads to inconsistent and sometimes incorrect information reaching employees. This creates confusion and erodes trust. In the worst cases, employees make critical health and wealth decisions based on misleading information.
Technological Hurdles: A clunky website interface and malfunctioning systems can turn simple tasks like password changes into a daunting ordeal. This hinders employees’ access to vital information and services.
Impersonal Interactions: Employees need personalized, empathetic service. Feeling undervalued and unsupported negatively impacts engagement and productivity.
Lack of Proactive Support: Without proactive guidance, employees are left to navigate complex benefits alone. This leads to confusion and underutilization of available benefits.
In the dynamic ecosystem of employee benefits, aligning with a strategic partner is not just an option – it’s a necessity. Benefits administration is a complex terrain with potential pitfalls that can disrupt the well-being of any workforce. A dedicated partner understands that swift responses, precise guidance, and prompt resolutions are paramount. When selecting a benefits administration partner, employers must consider the following criteria when it comes to service and support.
Response Time: Employers need a partner who can swiftly address questions and resolve issues to ensure employees get the support they need exactly when they need it.
Expertise: Benefits administration is intricate, with evolving regulations, varying plan designs, and industry-specific complexities. A partner with comprehensive expertise and a focus on service excellence can help HR and benefits leaders navigate hurdles and anticipate employee needs.
Customization: Every organization has a unique culture, goals, and workforce demographic. Creating personalized benefit experiences for employees is essential for meeting them where they are at work and in life.
Benefits play a key role in any organization’s ability to achieve its people-related goals, whether it be through building a positive workplace culture, better attracting and retaining talent, supporting diversity and inclusion, or improving employee health and wellness.
This means it’s critical that your benefits administration technology and service partner can deliver positive people and benefit experiences through its platform and service model.
Empyrean blends innovative technology with a service-first approach to empower your workforce, fostering a sense of ownership and control over their health and financial futures. Precision Benefits, our proprietary AI-powered decision support tool, provides employees with personalized recommendations and guidance based on their own health data.
As the risk of disruptions to business operations mounts in the face of severe weather, cybersecurity breaches, global pandemics, terrorism, and even war, many organizations have found themselves struggling to protect themselves from evolving threats.
Unfortunately, it is often not until businesses find themselves at immediate risk that they take action to prepare for the worst. As natural and human-made disasters continue to rise in both volume and severity, a proactive, formalized, and well-practiced approach to business continuity and disaster recovery has become even more critical.
At Empyrean, we’ve seen first-hand how crucial thoughtfully designed disaster recovery and business continuity programs are for corporate resiliency. Our headquarters is located in Houston, Texas, which has a climate prone to extreme weather events. Over the last few years, the Houston area has experienced severe natural disasters that have included hurricanes, flooding, extreme heat, power outages, and even freeze events.
But even through these states of emergency, we have had little to no disruption to our regular business operations. The redundancies, controls, technologies, and training we have provided to our teams have made us well-positioned to weather any type of storm – be it a hurricane, power crisis, or even a global pandemic.
Corporate Resiliency at Empyrean
Empyrean’s resiliency program is a framework of policies, procedures, and controls that are designed to protect our organization from a large range of threats, including those of natural, technological, biological, adversarial, incidental, or human-caused origin.
Our commitment to corporate resiliency is a year-round, ongoing effort that allows us to comprehensively avoid or reduce the impact of these potential threats by predicting, preparing for, and practicing our response to crises.
Our standards and guidelines apply not only to Empyrean team members, but to contractors, sub-contractors, and their respective facilities supporting Empyrean business operations, wherever Empyrean data is stored or processed, including any third-party contracted by Empyrean to handle, process, transmit, store, or dispose of Empyrean data.
The strict framework we follow maintains Empyrean’s compliance with our SOC1, SOC2, and ISO 27001 requirements, and helps to ensure the integrity and availability of our critical systems. This type of protection and oversight is essential for maintaining the trust of our stakeholders, partners, and (most importantly) our clients and their employees.
Here are some of the key features of our own resiliency framework, which includes best practice standards that are key pillars for any business continuity and disaster recovery roadmap.
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
A business impact analysis (BIA) predicts the consequences of a disruption to your business and gathers information needed to develop recovery strategies. Through this systematic process, organizations can evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations resulting from a disaster or other emergency and explore vulnerabilities and potential threats.
Our business impact analysis (BIA) is the core of our resiliency program and contains the key information and data we use to make decisions that pertain to our continuity, response, and recovery. Through this annual detailed analysis, we take action to guard against any identified vulnerabilities and develop plans to reduce any risks tied to the potential threat. Our BIAs also allow us to proactively prioritize all critical function areas based on their potential impact and likelihood of occurrence and implement or identify existing controls to mitigate downtime.
Some of the plans that we’ve built through our BIA include our Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Application Recovery, Technical Recovery, and Crisis Management Plans.
Training & Plan Execution
A plan is only as good as a team member’s ability to understand their role and respond in the event of a crisis. Our standard operating procedures (SOPs) provide detailed, step-by-step guidance to execute our response plans in a detailed, systematic, and effective manner.
Responding to a disaster or emergency event requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders and careful coordination to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive company information. We carefully train our teams responsible for implementing controls, providing clear instructions, guidance, and training materials to ensure each team member understands how to execute a response plan should the need arise.
To do this, our SOPs include clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and redundancies. In addition to weekly meetings of our Resiliency and Crisis Management Teams, we conduct regular drills and practice exercises on an ongoing basis.
We also conduct an annual resiliency program review to assess the current state of our BIA and associated plans to ensure we consistently re-evaluate potential issues that could threaten Empyrean’s ongoing operations while addressing gaps and lessons learned from our ongoing exercises and/or actual real-life events.
Resiliency training is offered both as part of our annual compliance training and our ongoing quarterly response simulations. Through these training events, our team practices executing our SOPs, using our Mass / Emergency Notification System (M/ENS), and utilizing other tools incorporated into our disaster response programs. These drills also give us the opportunity to monitor controls to ensure they are functioning as intended.
Through this training, we provide our employees with valuable experience to ensure that any real-life events can be executed thoughtfully and in accordance with our resiliency planning. These exercises also help identify and evaluate potential gaps in our plans so that we can take the necessary steps to begin resolving and mitigating additional risks.
Internal Auditing & Corrective and Preventative Actions
In addition to our practical training programs, we also maintain strict processes for identifying and addressing nonconformities and areas for improvement identified through internal audits, management reviews, and other monitoring activities. These practices ensure that nonconformities are quickly corrected and that preventive actions are taken to prevent their recurrence.
These internal audits include the quarterly assessment of any changes to our business environment, shifts in tools and technologies used throughout the business, changes to regulations and standards, incidents and near-misses, and feedback from our key stakeholders.
If any nonconformities are identified through our team’s audits, we conduct a root cause analysis to identify the underlying cause(s), take swift correct actions based on our findings, put preventative actions in place to ensure the issue does not arise again, and then conduct careful monitoring to verify the effectiveness of measures taken.
Third-Party Auditing and Reviews
While we conduct internal audits on an ongoing basis, we also rely on annual third-party audits to review the overall effectiveness of our processes and related controls. Through these ongoing reviews, our third-party partners can identify potential areas for improvement and ensure that Empyrean remains compliant with or exceeds all required standards.
We also participate in annual third-party audits to maintain compliance with our SOC1/SOC2 and ISO 27001 certifications. Our annual SOC1/SOC2 audits and ISO 27001 surveillance review include an extensive examination of functions across a wide range of criteria to identify any gaps or non-conformance.
Empyrean also undergoes an intensive IS 270001 recertification audit every three years.
Continuous Improvement
Threats evolve at a rapid pace, so we maintain a process of continuous improvement to ensure all of our business continuity and disaster recovery programs remain effective and aligned with our strategic goals.
To do this, we maintain a strict schedule that includes:
Identifying opportunities for improvement that may include changes in the organization’s context, new or updated regulatory requirements, or changes in technology.
Evaluating (and re-evaluating) best practice standards, includingexternal benchmarking, industry standards, or guidance from professional associations.
Adopting new technologies in alignment with industry standards and our resiliency posture.
Implementing changes to procedures, tools, and ownership, including updating SOPs, controls, and any policies as needed.
Ongoing internal and external monitoring of the effectiveness of changes made as part of Empyrean’s continuous improvement process.
A strong corporate resiliency posture is critical in today’s business environment. While it may feel daunting to shift to a proactive approach, a thoughtful and well-tested business continuity and disaster recovery program will provide your organization’s stakeholders with the peace of mind and protection necessary to be successful.
Trust us, we’ve seen it firsthand.
We’re not Just Surviving, We’re Thriving.
ABOUT RICK MILLER
Rick Miller is Empyrean’s Vice President, Information Technology and has been with Empyrean since 2010. Rick has overseen Empyrean infrastructure, security practice, and business continuity and disaster growth since joining the company. Rick continues to lead the organization’s security, BCP/DR, audit, and procurement practices.
The employee benefits ecosystem is evolving with the extension of artificial intelligence. In this digital age, generic one-size-fits-all solutions no longer suit the needs of employees and their families.
Did you know that 72% of people say they wish they could get help selecting the best health insurance for their unique situation?
That’s why we’ve meticulously crafted Precision Benefits to empower your workforce, fostering a sense of ownership and control over their health and financial futures. Our innovative solution goes beyond traditional benefits administration, providing your employees with AI-driven decision support, comprehensive plan reviews, and expense management insights.
Continue reading to learn how Precision Benefits is powered by Empyrean’s AI-driven decision support tool.
How it Works
At the heart of Precision Benefits lies Empyrean’s proprietary AI-driven algorithm, which functions as the engine for personalized recommendations. Empyrean’s decision support tool uses personal health data to help employees choose and use the best benefit options available to them.
Empyrean’s algorithm analyzes a person’s health data against a wide array of plan options, weighing costs and coverage details to produce recommendations that are unique to the needs of each employee. This personalized approach to benefits selection is not just about the initial enrollment; it’s about crafting a year-long experience of well-being and security.
The AI-driven decision support tool that powers Precision Benefits works by creating a guided experience that is both quick and insightful. Employees are led through a series of questions designed to accurately assess their health needs and develop a personalized risk profile. This process is intuitive and efficient, ensuring that even those who are overwhelmed by the complexity of benefits enrollment find it understandable and accessible.
Learn how Decision Support Helped Luis & Olivia
These newlyweds just got some exciting news. They’re expecting a baby!
Amidst their happiness, they know that this new phase of life also comes with responsibilities, including making informed decisions about their healthcare options. That’s why they turn to Precision Benefits and decision support for guidance.
Precision Benefits’ decision support also helps Luis and Olivia understand the potential costs associated with medical services throughout their pregnancy and beyond. Armed with this knowledge, they proactively plan and budget their healthcare expenses, ensuring that they can comfortably accommodate the financial demands of having a baby.
Watch this video to see how Decision Support helped Luis & Olivia.
Empyrean’s Precision Benefits doesn’t stop at just providing personalized recommendations; it acts as a continuous support system for employees. By helping them select the right benefits at the right time, the platform ensures that employees and their loved ones are taken care of, without the stress and confusion that often accompanies benefits selection.
People have saved an average of $1,880 per year when accepting personalized recommendations.
This level of customization in benefits enrollment is not a luxury—it’s a necessity that employees have come to expect their employer to provide. Precision Benefits stands as a testament to Empyrean’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and the well-being of employees everywhere.
Don’t let your employees navigate the complexities of benefits enrollment alone. Find out how Precision Benefits can better support your people and connect them to life-enriching benefits year-round.
Houston, TX. [Nov. 2, 2023] Empyrean (www.goempyrean.com), a leading HR technology company focused on personalized people and benefit experiences, is excited to announce Sarah Seger as the new Senior Director of Channel Enablement. Seger will play a pivotal role in amplifying Empyrean’s operational excellence and innovative solutions delivery through strategic collaborations and alliances.
Seger brings with her a wealth of experience, skills, and industry insights. She previously served as a key figure in Public Sector Sales at Clarity Benefit Solutions, where she demonstrated her aptitude in nurturing relationships, enhancing customer experiences, and driving sales growth.
Before joining Empyrean, Seger also made notable contributions as the Director of Sales at Nayya. She was instrumental in designing and executing sales strategies that fostered relationships, enhanced client engagement, and accelerated growth. Seger’s innovative approach, coupled with her expertise in sales management and business development, facilitated market expansion opportunities.
“We are thrilled to have Sarah join our team,” said Jim Priebe, Empyrean’s Chief Strategy Officer. “Her proven track record in enhancing client engagements and driving sales growth in the public sector will be instrumental as we continue to expand Empyrean’s reach and service offerings.”
Seger is not just known for her strategic and operational acumen, but also for her ability to empower teams to excel in delivering exceptional client experiences. “Sarah’s passion and commitment to excellence, paired with her strategic foresight, align perfectly with our mission to provide innovative, life-enriching benefit solutions,” added Jim.
Seger’s readiness for fostering collaborative relationships and driving organizational growth is evident. “I’m excited to be part of the Empyrean team,” said Seger. “I’m looking forward to leveraging my experiences and contributing to the team’s ongoing success in offering unrivaled benefit solutions backed by exemplary service.”
Empyrean is in a phase of rapid expansion and innovation. The addition of Seger to the team highlights the company’s commitment to strengthening its position as a leader in the employee benefits administration space, enhancing client engagements and delivering cutting-edge solutions.
Seger earned a B.S. from Illinois State University.
About Empyrean
We believe that everyone deserves a workplace culture that supports their total well-being through benefits.
Since 2006, Empyrean has provided employers of varying size, industry, and benefit plan complexity with the innovative technology, service-first approach, and focus on people experience to solve pain points and bring benefit strategies to life.
Empyrean delivers a total solution designed to create connected benefit and people experiences that enrich lives, strengthen employer brands, improve workplace cultures, and advance organizational goals.
Through our technology and service, we create scalable, tailored experiences that empower participants to better understand, access, and engage with their benefit programs not just at enrollment, but year-round.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Empyrean has additional office locations as well as remote teams located throughout the U.S.
Empyrean is a subsidiary of Securian Financial (www.securian.com).
Empyrean’s mission is simple yet profound: “Connecting Benefits, Enriching Lives.” At the core of our existence is a commitment to helping our clients connect their employees and their families to the best benefit programs available. We believe that benefits are more than just perks; they are a tangible expression of a company’s culture, and they play a crucial role in enhancing the lives of employees both at work and in life.
Our mission is the guiding star that influences every action we take as a company, from the smallest everyday decision to the most significant business strategies. “Connecting Benefits, Enriching Lives” embodies our dedication to driving positive outcomes for employees, their loved ones, and the organizations we serve.
WE BELIEVE
Our values, known as “The 5 BEs,” serve as guiding principles that shape how we lead, think, and collaborate within our organization. These values empower us to create a supportive, compassionate, inclusive, and energized workplace, allowing us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions every day.
We understand the profound impact our actions have on the lives of our clients, their employees, and the wider communities we touch. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and it drives us to support one another and the communities in which we live.
Sustainability: A Healthy Planet Benefits Everyone
Empyrean is committed to reducing our environmental impact and carbon footprint. We’ve implemented a range of sustainability practices across our operations, including the establishment of our Green Team, an employee group dedicated to promoting sustainability initiatives and educating colleagues on environmental best practices. We also actively encourage our clients to transition to digital environments whenever possible, aiming to reduce paper usage and waste.
Our transition to more efficient renewable energy cloud services and a hybrid work environment, which promotes virtual meetings and reduces business travel, further demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. We’ve also embraced comprehensive recycling programs and paperless office policies, focusing on digitizing processes to minimize paper usage and waste. Furthermore, our policies encourage reduced energy consumption while promoting environmental awareness.
Working Together to Improve Our Communities
Empyrean’s team is passionate about supporting the communities in which we live and work. Through our Empyrean Shares program, we provide our team members with paid time off to volunteer with organizations they are passionate about. We believe in being responsible corporate citizens and sponsor several programs and charitable causes throughout the year, contributing to local causes.
Our commitment to community improvement extends to events like our bi-annual blood drive, which gives us an opportunity to come together and do good in our communities. We also invest in the future by offering opportunities to the next generation through our internship program and partnerships with local HBCUs.
Ethical Business Practices: A Foundation of Trust
We are committed to conducting business in an ethical and responsible manner. Every member of the Empyrean team abides by our code of conduct that outlines our dedication to ethical business practices. We also strive to work with suppliers that meet our rigorous selection criteria, including high sustainability and data security standards. Whenever possible, we engage with suppliers that are certified as minority-owned, women-owned, disability-owned, veteran-owned, or LGBTQ+-owned.
Diversity, Equity + Inclusion
We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where every employee has an equal opportunity to contribute to the effectiveness of our organization. Our initiatives include policies, procedures, and programs that support the unique needs of our team members, annual compliance training covering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and talent pipeline initiatives.
We also ensure that inclusive language is used in all our materials and continuously assess our technologies and service approach to address diverse end-user needs and comply with WCAG standards.
Supporting Total Well-being
Empyrean prioritizes the health and safety of our workforce, recognizing their significance in ensuring the well-being of our people. Our comprehensive benefit programs, from medical, dental, and vision plans to 401(k) with a company match, are thoughtfully designed to support the physical and mental health, financial wellness, and overall safety of our team members and their families.
Our commitment to employee well-being extends to disaster recovery and business continuity programs, demonstrating our dedication to sustaining our business and caring for our people.
At Empyrean, we believe in doing the right thing by our clients – and it all starts with doing right by our people.
Since 2006, Empyrean has provided employers of varying size, industry, and benefit plan complexity with the innovative technology and best in class service necessary to accelerate their benefit strategies and bring their benefit programs to life.
Empyrean’s platform and services were designed to create connected employee benefit experiences that enrich lives, strengthen employer brands, and improve workplace cultures. Focused on total employee health and wellness, Empyrean is dedicated to delivering scalable and tailored experiences that empower participants to better understand, access, and engage with their benefit programs not just at enrollment time, but on a year-round basis.
Today, millions of participants across the U.S. rely on Empyrean to inform and guide their benefit enrollment and utilization decisions.
Houston, TX. [Oct. 23, 2023] – Empyrean, (www.goempyrean.com), a leading HR technology company focused on personalized benefits and people experiences, is thrilled to welcome Jen Peery as the new Senior Director of Product Strategy. Peery will play a key role in advancing Empyrean’s product strategy to meet evolving client needs and market demands.
Peery brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success in the benefits and healthcare industry. Before joining Empyrean, she was with Benefitfocus for 16 years where she held various roles of increasing responsibility and fostered strong client relationships and optimal service delivery. Her extensive background in different roles will bring a unique perspective to the product team.
“We’re excited to have Jen join us,” expressed Jim Priebe, Empyrean’s Chief Strategy Officer. “The blend of her vast industry knowledge, exemplary leadership abilities, and an established history of creating and implementing innovative strategies is priceless. She will be invaluable as we take our product offerings to the next level.”
Peery’s primary focus at Empyrean will be to lead the product management team in developing innovative solutions that meet the diverse needs of our clients while enhancing the end-user experience. She will play a crucial role in ensuring that Empyrean continues to lead in combining top-tier technology with unparalleled service.
“I am eager to contribute to a company that is as committed to innovation and excellence as Empyrean,” said Peery. “It is an exciting opportunity to work with a team that is dedicated to delivering exceptional solutions that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our clients and their employees.”
Peery joins Empyrean during a pivotal growth period. The company is expanding quickly and is ready to set new standards in the industry. With increased offerings and enhancements on the roadmap, Peery’s leadership will be essential in guiding the product management team to achieve greater success.
Jen earned a B.A. from Wofford College.
About Empyrean
We believe that everyone deserves a workplace culture that supports their total well-being through benefits.
Since 2006, Empyrean has provided employers of varying size, industry, and benefit plan complexity with the innovative technology, service-first approach, and focus on people experience to solve pain points and bring benefit strategies to life.
Empyrean delivers a total solution designed to create connected benefit and people experiences that enrich lives, strengthen employer brands, improve workplace cultures, and advance organizational goals.
Through our technology and service, we create scalable, tailored experiences that empower participants to better understand, access, and engage with their benefit programs not just at enrollment, but year-round.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Empyrean has additional office locations as well as remote teams located throughout the U.S.
Empyrean is a subsidiary of Securian Financial (www.securian.com).
We are thrilled to share that Empyrean has been honored with the distinguished Aetna Workplace Well-being Inspiring Change Award. This remarkable recognition signifies our dedication to enhancing the well-being of our workforce and the impactful strides we have taken to ensure our team members feel supported at work and in life.
The Significance of the Aetna Workplace Well-being Award
This recognition from Aetna is the result of a meticulous evaluation of our well-being programs and the extent to which our team has actively participated in them. Empyrean stood out in a competitive field by demonstrating a strong commitment to nurturing a healthy and supportive workplace culture.
To be considered for this award, organizations must provide a full year’s worth of data on their well-being programs which are thoroughly evaluated for their strategy and design, communications and organizational engagement, and program implementation and adoption.
The evaluation was conducted by a panel of well-being professionals who meticulously reviewed and scored the effectiveness of each organization’s well-being programs based on pre-defined criteria, ensuring that this recognition is truly well-deserved.
This accomplishment reflects Empyrean’s belief that everyone deserves a workplace culture that supports their total well-being through benefits. We could not be prouder of this achievement, and we could not be more grateful to every member of our team who not only recognizes the importance of their own well-being, but the well-being of the millions of people who rely on Empyrean to access and engage with their benefits and well-being programs year-round.
At our core, Empyrean exists to help each of our clients connect their employees and their families to the best benefits programs available to them, building a workplace culture focused on employee well-being both in and outside of work.
We believe that benefits are one of the most tangible expressions of company culture, and our mission is to connect employees to those life-enriching benefits while driving positive outcomes for employees, their loved ones, and our client organizations.
As an organization, company culture is the single most important influencer of our individual and company success. We invite you to dive into Empyrean’s Culture Book, and take some time to explore our culture, our mission, and our values.
Houston, TX. [Oct. 18, 2023] – Empyrean (www.goempyrean.com), a leading HR technology company focused on personalized benefits and people experiences, is excited to announce the newest addition to their dynamic team, Ben Carey, as Director of Sales, Channel Enablement. Carey is set to bring his expansive experience, strategic insights, and proven track record in benefits administration to further bolster Empyrean’s growing market presence.
Carey has had a long-standing career in the benefits administration space and understands the industry’s complex challenges and opportunities. In his last role at Corestream, Carey’s strategic approach to sales, coupled with an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction, consistently resulted in establishing and nurturing long-term client relationships.
“Ben’s arrival marks a significant milestone for Empyrean,” stated Jim Priebe, Empyrean’s Chief Strategy Officer. “His deep-rooted knowledge in BenAdmin, coupled with a remarkable acumen for sales, aligns seamlessly with our vision to expand and enhance our market footprint. We are confident that Ben’s contribution will be pivotal in gaining new partnerships.”
In his new role, Carey will focus on driving Empyrean’s strategic sales initiatives, optimizing channel partnerships, and enhancing the overall client engagement experience.
His adeptness in aligning sales strategies with client needs and market trends will be instrumental in fortifying Empyrean’s stature as the preferred partner for employee benefits administration solutions.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Empyrean team,” said Carey. “The opportunity to contribute to a growing company that operates with a service-first approach is great. I am looking forward to leveraging my experience to contribute to the team’s ongoing success.”
Ben Carey’s arrival is timely, aligning with Empyrean’s strategic growth phase. The company is poised to unveil a series of innovative offerings, and Carey’s expertise will be instrumental in steering the sales team to new heights of success.
Carey earned a B.S. from California Polytechnic State University.
About Empyrean
We believe that everyone deserves a workplace culture that supports their total well-being through benefits.
Since 2006, Empyrean has provided employers of varying size, industry, and benefit plan complexity with the innovative technology, service-first approach, and focus on people experience to solve pain points and bring benefit strategies to life.
Empyrean delivers a total solution designed to create connected benefit and people experiences that enrich lives, strengthen employer brands, improve workplace cultures, and advance organizational goals.
Through our technology and service, we create scalable, tailored experiences that empower participants to better understand, access, and engage with their benefit programs not just at enrollment, but year-round.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Empyrean has additional office locations as well as remote teams located throughout the U.S.
Empyrean is a subsidiary of Securian Financial (www.securian.com).
Are you ready to experience benefits in a way you’ve never seen before? Visit Empyrean’s booth at HR Tech 2023 and get ready to discover how to drive success and engage your people with Precision Benefits.
Come see us in the Pitchfest Theater.
Join our experts on Wednesday, October 11th from 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM in the Pitchfest Theater to learn how leading organizations have partnered with Empyrean to personalize benefits adoption by leveraging claims data to create tailored experiences that meet employees where they are – at work and in life.
You Don’t Want to Miss This.
We’re ready to redefine reality. Are you? Visit us at booth 1732 to see for yourself.
Benefits play a central role in advancing every people-related goal within your organization, ultimately driving your total success as a company. HR and benefit leaders spend countless hours and resources designing strategies to support their employees – but these programs are only as strong as an employee’s ability to leverage them.
In other words, a benefits program is only as strong as an employee perceives it to be. No matter how robust your benefits program is, it won’t have the impact you expect if your people don’t know how or where to engage with these programs.
Introducing Precision Benefits from Empyrean
At Empyrean, we understand that your employees are at the heart of your organization’s success. That’s why we’ve meticulously built Precision Benefits to empower your workforce with improved ownership and control over their health, wellness, and financial futures.
Our innovative platform goes beyond traditional benefits administration, providing your employees with personalized decision support, comprehensive plan reviews, and expense management insights on a year-round basis – not just at open enrollment time.
By proactively engaging with their benefits, your workforce can confidently make the right choices for their unique situations and circumstances, minimizing unexpected financial burdens while optimizing their well-being.
Empowering your people through Precision Benefits enhances their overall workplace satisfaction and loyalty, leading to a healthier and more productive workforce. As your employees take charge of their health and financial security, your organization will experience improved performance, reduced absenteeism, and increased employee retention.
Download this guide to learn more about how Precision Benefits can empower your employees to choose and use the best benefits available.
Attending HR Tech 2023? Come visit the Empyrean team at booth #1732 to explore a world made better by Precision Benefits.
Over the last decade, the public sector has grappled with an aging workforce and creating an employer value proposition to create a strong and sustainable candidate pipeline.
While many experts advise public sector employers to invest in upskilling older workers, others still worry about their inability to attract young talent into public service.
Gen Z isn’t just looking for a paycheck. They’re in search of meaning.
Gen Z, which includes individuals born between 1997 and 2012, is entering the workforce with a set of values, expectations, and aspirations that are different than those of their predecessors. Their upbringing has been deeply intertwined with significant global and economic events, technological advances, and cultural shifts that have shaped their perspectives as to what defines an employer of choice and a rewarding career.
Many of the unique values held by this young generation are tied to purpose and meaning, and their intrinsic need to find work that advances the causes they believe in. Extensive studies have found that Gen Z-ers are drawn to mission-driven work and organizations that live up to the values portrayed through marketing and branding.
As Gen Z makes it clear that they are not willing to buy into hustle culture or sell out for a high paycheck alone, public sector employers are offered a unique opportunity to attract and develop this young talent by simply leveraging the public sector’s employer value proposition (EVP).
Leveraging a Strong EVP to Attract Gen Z
Public sector CHROs and HR teams have a unique advantage over private sector employers when it comes to attracting Gen Z talent. There is an organic alignment between what Gen Z-ers are seeking from work and what employment in the public sector can deliver.
Here are some ways that public sector employers can leverage their EVP to attract and retain young workers throughout the employee lifecycle.
#1 – Highlight Mission-Driven Work
Gen Z grew up in an era of profound change, ranging from social justice movements to economic uncertainty, to environmental action. They have also grown up as digital natives, with access to technology and platforms that provide greater visibility into the issues facing not just their immediate communities, but the world at large.
Research has documented Gen Z’s desire to not only work for an organization that is mission-driven, but to perform work that allows them to individually contribute to that greater purpose.
The public sector, by its very nature, is positioned to offer roles that directly influence communities, policy, and society. Public sector employers have a unique opportunity to appeal to this purpose-driven generation, highlighting the impact they can make in their immediate communities or world-wide through public service.
#2 – Showcase Your Commitment to DEIB Programs & Initiatives
Gen Z represents the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history, much of which is attributed to a growing percentage of America’s young people being born into immigrant families. They are also the most diverse generation as it relates to identifying as LGBTQIA+, and are cited as the most formally educated population of Americans.
Gen Z-ers have grown to expect their workplaces to reflect America’s growing diversity and to provide workplace cultures that support inclusion and belonging efforts.
Public sector organizations are often ahead of the curve in ensuring diverse representation, with many public institutions prioritizing diversity training and other inclusivity programs. As the private sector quietly cuts back on promises made to foster diverse, inclusive workplaces, public sector employers that highlight their continued commitment to DEIB will have a leg up in attracting younger talent.
#3 – Emphasize a Commitment to Total Employee Health & Well-being
Gen Z has had a front row seat as the generations before them have burned out due to poor work-life balance and a failure to manage physical, mental, and financial health.
Beyond traditional benefits, Gen Z places immense importance on holistic well-being, has broken free from stigmas about seeking mental health support, and seeks roles that offer flexibility and autonomy.
The public sector has traditionally offered not only a rich benefits program, but also a workplace culture that better supports work-life balance than its private sector counterparts through more predictable work schedules.
And for a population that may stay on their parents’ medical plan until they age out at 26, supplementing a medical benefits program with highly desired voluntary and lifestyle benefits is critical to demonstrating a commitment to total employee well-being. Gen Z recognizes the many different components that contribute to overall well-being, and they expect their employer to support them in both work and in life.
The public sector’s ability to deliver benefits, programs, and resources that support an employee’s well-being – both in and outside of work – is critical to attracting Gen Z talent. The public sector’s ability to communicate the value of these programs on a year-round basis is also critical to success.
#4 – Leverage the Power of Your Benefits Program by Providing Personalized Benefits Experiences
While Gen Z values an employer with a commitment to their total health and wellness, a benefits program is only as strong as employees perceive it to be.
A rich benefits program is one of the public sector’s strongest attraction and retention tools, but it can be made even stronger when accompanied by technology that provides employees with individualized benefit experiences that help them choose and use the best benefits available for their unique situations.
Gen Z is a generation of digital nomads that have grown up in the age of technology and are high adopters of artificial intelligence to guide their decision-making. They also have an expectation that technology will serve them as the individuals they are and not as simply part of the masses. Public sector benefit teams can help Gen Z talent better recognize the value their rich benefit programs offer by providing these tools, improving their ability to attract and retain Gen Z-ers using a strong EVP already in place.
#5 – Position Job Stability as a Competitive Advantage
While often overlooked by Millennials in favor of startup culture, the attractiveness of job stability is making a comeback.
Throughout their lives, Gen Z has seen rampant economic uncertainty, including watching parents experience joblessness during the Great Recession. They also have experienced exceptionally high rates of childhood poverty, with a peak of 23% in 2011 and 2012, and falling to 17% in 2021. Even for those from households above the poverty line, Gen Z-ers are much more likely to come from low-income households than prior generations.
As adults, Gen Z-ers hold high levels of student loan debt and are facing rising housing costs and inflation. Seventy-five percent of Gen Z-ers report that they can’t pay their bills on time, and have increased their levels of non-mortgage debt more than any generation in recent years.
While Millennials made a name for themselves as job hoppers, the Gen Z population will likely value workplace stability and job security. The average tenure for a public sector employee is 6.7 years, which is significantly higher than 3.8 years in the private sector.
Gen Z, having witnessed economic downturns and the uncertainties of gig economy jobs, values the stability offered by the public sector. Gen Z-ers are positioned to see the promise of consistent benefits, job security, and structured progression. Public sector employers that empower candidates to recognize job stability does not stifle career growth and is a strong EVP will do well in attracting Gen Z workers.
#6 – Place Value on Professional Development, Continuous Learning & Opportunities for Advancement
While job security is a key EVP to attract Gen Z talent, it is important to demonstrate that this stability does not come at the expense of opportunities for growth.
According to recent research, Gen Z employees view career advancement and professional development opportunities as clear indicators of a healthy workplace culture, and are one of the highest offerings young talent values when considering a role.
Contrary to the belief that the public sector lags in professional development, many government bodies invest heavily in training their workforce. The public sector often offers opportunities for further studies, workshops, and certifications, ensuring employees stay updated, relevant, and positioned for growth.
While the public sector might not offer the rapid vertical growth seen in startups, its vastness provides diverse opportunities that Gen Z highly values. Public sector employers need to showcase transparent growth pathways that clearly outline career progression paths and the skills required for advancement.
Gen Z is also a group that values horizontal growth opportunities as they diversify their skillset, and the public sector offers a variety of role types young workers can explore. They also expect clarity into objectives and the immediate impact of their work. The structured nature of public sector projects can provide this clarity, and create clear timelines for when and how horizontal advancement could work to Gen Z’s advantage.
The public sector is also well positioned to offer mentorship programs, creating an opportunity to not only engage and develop younger workers, but their more tenured counterparts as well.
Gen Z talent expects their employer to invest in their growth and development, with clear career pathing and opportunities for growth. By leveraging the talent of older generations and showing clear paths for advancement, the public sector can attract new and diverse talent that may have otherwise overlooked the value of their EVP.
Conclusion
The public sector has a unique opportunity to leverage EVPs already in place to attract younger talent and improve the employee experience for all members of its workforce.
With its mission-focused roles and growth opportunities, traditionally rich benefit programs, and ability to provide strong workplace cultures that support total well-being, the public sector is strongly aligned with the values of our youngest generation of workers.
Learn more about how Empyrean can help your public sector organization build a better culture through benefits.
Artificial Intelligence is shaping and changing the future of work as we know it. From virtual assistants to chatbots and facial recognition, the world is officially entering the peak era of AI – and so is Empyrean. As part of our most recent product enhancements, we’ve integrated AI technology into our Service Center operations to empower our team members and improve efficiency to deliver unparalleled service and unwavering support to our clients and their employees.
We interviewed Empyrean’s Vice President of Member Service & Service Center Strategy, Freddie Berberena, to delve into the strategic rationale behind Empyrean’s AI Service Center adoption and the recent breakthroughs that have propelled AI from being a tool that once required extensive management to a self-learning marvel.
Why did Empyrean decide to leverage AI for our Service Center?
We’ve been watching the AI space for many years and were early adopters of some of its elementary capabilities. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so easy to add or update information back then, and these tools required a lot of teaching and management since they couldn’t learn by themselves…until recently!
Of course, you’ve probably heard a lot about ChatGPT and how it’s capable of imitating human thinking and tone. What’s really changing the game is the method behind it, called the Large Language Model (LLM). In the past, you had to teach the technology what words to listen for and then build out a repository of answers for it to learn and replicate. Now we can expose AI to a much broader set of information.
With improved Natural Language engines, AI understands different words that have the same meaning and can now teach itself answers to questions based on the information it’s fed. Essentially, we’re teaching AI in a similar way to how we teach humans to assist customers.
Wait…we’re not replacing our highly trained Service Center team with AI, right?
Never! AI is going to make our Service Center support more automated and easier for employees to use on their own. One of the biggest benefits is that employees will be able to get answers to their questions 24/7 without having to call our support line. This will be hugely beneficial, especially for people who prefer not to speak with a live agent.
That said, there are a myriad of complex and sensitive situations that will always require human empathy and support from a trained agent. AI will be most helpful in solving simple tasks such as password resets and providing general plan information, which will allow our Service Center agents to focus on more complex scenarios and questions.
We know that not everyone will be open to AI assistance – and that’s ok! Employees calling in to our Service Center will always have the option to talk to a live representative, no matter their reason for calling.
How is this going to improve the Service Center experience for our clients and their employees?
As we touched on earlier, the two main benefits that members will experience are access to 24/7 support and getting that support through whichever channel they prefer. Customers want efficient, user-friendly service, and we’re finding that more and more people prefer not to talk to a live agent.
We’re also leveraging tools that members can’t see, but will benefit from. Thanks to AI, our Quality Program is now able to review 100% of the calls that come into our Empyrean Service Center. Better yet, it can look for and report on behaviors we find important and notify managers in real time if the tool identifies an issue with a call (such as an upset caller).
Since the tool can listen to calls as they come in, it also helps our Service Center team by providing them with information about the caller’s request. For example, if an employee calls in with questions about HSA contribution maximums for the year, our tool will automatically pull out that information and provide it to the agent, so they don’t have to spend time searching for the answer and putting the caller on hold. It’s a win-win!
How are we going to measure the success of this new functionality?
We’ll measure the success of our AI capabilities based on how much our callers like, use, and engage with our tools. If employees can get the information they need when they need it, it will be a great experience for them – and that is what matters most to us. We’ll also see this functionality reduce the amount of time callers need to spend on a call or chat with us, allowing them to get on with the rest of their busy day.
I recently read a Forbes article that said “47% of Gen Z will walk away from a brand after a single bad customer service experience, so every interaction matters.” This hit home for me, and is exactly why Empyrean will always operate with a service-first and people-first approach. We have trained our Service Center agents to harness the power of our AI tools with the understanding that they are responsible for creating a phenomenal customer experience every time.
As AI continues to usher in a new era of possibilities, Empyrean has seamlessly integrated its capabilities into our Service Center to better support our clients and their employees. By embracing the dynamic power of AI, we remain committed to elevating customer experiences, ensuring access to top tier support, and prioritizing a service-first approach where innovation and empathy coincide for an exceptional people experience every time.
Interested in learning more about our latest product enhancements? Check out our full 2023 Summer Release Notes here.
National Women’s Equality Day commemorates the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which prevents the federal government or states from denying the right to vote based on sex. August 26, 1920 is considered a major turning point in the fight for women’s rights in the United States.
Today and every day, we recognize the fight of the trailblazers who came before us, and celebrate the many women who make Empyrean great. We asked some of these amazing women to reflect on what workplace gender equality means to them and to share their experiences, inspirations, and career advice.
Sarah Hotze Vice President of Client Solutions Empyrean Team Member Since 2013
What does Women’s Equality Day mean to you?
Women’s equality is important to me all year round, but formal holidays such as Women’s Equality Day are a great chance to step back and take stock – reflect on successes, but also think about the work we still have left to do.
I think it’s a good chance to ask myself what I personally can do to contribute, with a renewed sense of energy.
Is workplace equity important in the work you do?
It’s critical! Everyone performs best when they feel their whole selves are valued and included – and people stay at organizations where they feel like they can perform their best.
The link between engagement and equity is so clear. And, we have to show clients that we can support their entire workforce – that our services and solutions are designed for all.
What moment made you most proud to be a woman of Empyrean?
I am always proud to show prospective clients the diversity of our employee population – since I started at Empyrean, women have always made up about half of our workforce. That’s not to say we don’t have more work to do.
I also vividly recall the first sales meeting I attended where every person in the room (Empyrean and the client) was a woman. That used to be rare, now it is not!
What does workplace gender equality mean to you?
It means that all gender identities are supported, valued, recognized, and rewarded appropriately at every level of an organization.
What’s something that makes you feel empowered?
I get a lot of energy from connecting with other professional women, whether work or personal connections, and sharing our experiences. It feels great to celebrate successes but also share challenges.
Brandy Potter DEI, Culture & Employee Engagement Manager Empyrean Team Member Since 2018
As our head of DEI, is workplace equity important in the work that you do?
Workplace equity is important and fundamental to our mission and core values. It is also key for our DEI initiatives. It is crucial in what I do and what we aim to achieve:
Foundation of Inclusion: To create an inclusive workplace, we must ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate, contribute, and succeed.
Fosters Diversity: When individuals from all backgrounds and experiences are treated fairly, it encourages a broader range of people to join our organization and contribute their unique perspectives.
Nurtures Belonging: When employees know they are treated equitably, they are more likely to engage, speak up, and bring their authentic selves to work.
Strenghtens Organizational Culture: Contributes to a positive culture where fairness, respect, and opportunity are not just ideals but lived values.
Attracts Top Talent: Talented individuals seek organizations that value diversity and offer equitable opportunities.
Drives Sustainable Change: It’s about creating lasting change benefits current and future generations.
It is about a journey we are on. We will continue to evaluate and improve our DEI strategies, programs, and policies to ensure that everyone within our organization has an opportunity to thrive and excel.
Who are some who have inspired you – both personally and professionally?
Most of my career has been in the financial industry, where I had the opportunity to work for some inspiring women leaders. They were all unique in their own way, but one in particular was very tough in terms of expectations. While at the time it was challenging, reflecting back on what I learned the most from her especially was in terms of positioning myself to be heard, continue to persevere, take risks, be clear in communication, pay attention to the details, and lastly what women can achieve in (what was at the time) predominantly male industry.
From a personal aspect, my daughter inspires me to be a better mom and person overall. While one could say we have similar personalities, our views can be very different. At times, this may be generational, but she challenges me to actively listen, be open-minded, and understand her perspectives as a young adult.
Do you have a special message you would like to share?
I encourage everyone to take an active role in promoting workplace equity. Together, we can build a workplace culture where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is the norm, and equity is the foundation upon which we build our shared success.
Lisbeth Ruiz Front End Engineering Manager Empyrean Team Member Since 2020
What does Women’s Equality Day mean to you?
For me, it means several things. It means recognizing and appreciating having the same rights as everyone, regardless of gender. It means showing respect towards history, sacrifices, and all the events that occurred to make it possible.
It means appreciating our contributions, whether big or small, to our jobs, our society, our personal lives.
It means celebrating our abilities, strength, resilience, even acknowledging our weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and mistakes.
It means even more a responsibility to inspire and help other women, a commitment to support each other so we can move forward together.
Is workplace equity important in the work you do?
Definitely. I think we should all be provided with the same opportunities and resources to demonstrate our abilities, perform our work, and grow in the workplace. Treating everyone equitably enhances collaboration and engagement on the team.
I believe all contributions are valuable and must be considered. Everyone has unique skills, ideas, strengths, needs, and experiences – each of which are fundamental to having more robust solutions and outcomes.
Who are some women who have inspired you during your life – both personally and professionally?
In my personal life, my mother and my sisters have been my greatest inspiration. Seeing how they faced challenges with resilience, they always showed and demonstrated that mutual support is essential to move forward.
With them, I learned that when we work together, we do more and better than when we stand alone.
What moment made you most proud to be a woman of Empyrean?
There have been several moments in which I have felt very proud to be a woman since I have been at Empyrean.
If I were to highlight one, it would be the moment when I was informed that I was being considered for the position of Front-end Engineering Manager. This was unexpected, as an engineer and working in the IT field my working life has been mostly surrounded by men.
Being considered for a manager as a woman felt that my experience, my skills, and my efforts were truly valued. In addition to that, I felt a greater sense of responsibility to give my best and meet the expectations of the position.
What does workplace gender equality mean to you?
I think that workplace gender equality means that everyone in the workplace is subject to the same opportunities, respect, and responsibilities; and your contributions are valued regardless of your gender, background, or identity.
Do you have a special message you’d like to share with the group?
Whenever you are presented with an opportunity to help others, take it. We are stronger together.
What’s something (in life or at work) that makes you feel empowered?
For me, it’s acquiring knowledge and practicing mentoring. Whenever I learn something new or gain a new skill, I feel like any goal is achievable. It gets more rewarding when I pass my knowledge to others, and see them putting it into practice.
Arlinda Williams Client Service Manager Empyrean Team Member Since 2022
As our Benefits, Comp & HRIS Manager, is workplace equity important in the work you do? If so, why?
I think that compensation and benefits are the lead indicators of how much value a company puts on workplace equity. Our policies and practices are guiding us to ensure that Empyrean is a place where a woman (or for that matter any individual) can come in and put in their best work without being held back by their gender identity.
I can proudly say working at Empyrean each day I am able to reinstate our organization’s belief in workplace equity.
Who are some women who have inspired you?
I have been privileged to know many strong women in my life. Some are part of my family, others are close friends, some I have known professionally and have the honor to work with. Each of these women have inspired me, taught me, and guided me in the interactions I have had with them.
Do you have a special message you’d like to share with the group?
To all my fellow ladies – the strength that we seek is within us. Spend your energy and resources in developing yourself and not in external validation.
Darcy Potter Team Manager, BPSS Empyrean Team Member Since 2016
What does Women’s Equality Day mean to you?
It’s a day to remember and be grateful for the work of the individuals who advocated and continue to advocate for change and equal treatment.
Is workplace equity important in the work you do? If so, why?
Absolutely! Equity can assist with building team unity, contribute to employee happiness and buy-in, as well as reduce turnover.
Who are some women who have inspired you during your life – both personally and professionally?
Both my mom and my grandma have been inspirational. My grandpa worked in construction and was frequently working out of town and out of state. During that time, my grandma raised 2 children while running their family hotel, bar, and restaurant and then later a standalone restaurant. She was able to successfully run businesses and raise her children. She was also a pillar for the family and assisted anyone in need.
My mom was a young, single mother who put herself through college. I watched her work her way up different companies throughout my life, always resulting in positions of management, sometimes working multiple jobs to support us. They’ve both supported and encouraged me during my life.
What moment made you most proud to be a woman of Empyrean?
There isn’t just one specific moment. I’m proud to work for a company that has multiple women in positions of leadership.
What does workplace gender equality mean to you?
All employees are treated equally, especially in regard to opportunities for growth, workplace responsibilities, and rights.
What’s something (in life or at work) that makes you feel empowered?
Knowledge. Learning new things or taking on new tasks is a rewarding feeling. Being able to master those and then teach someone else, helps empower them as well.
What is the most important piece of advice you have been given about your career?
To go outside my comfort zone. It’s the only way to learn new skills and grow both personally and professionally.
Kelly Knick Director, Channel Enablement Empyrean Team Member Since 2022
What does Women’s Equality Day mean to you?
To me, Women’s Equality Day is a day to reflect on all the different accomplishments of the many women before me, and the ones that stand beside me today. So many of my mentors have been women in leadership and I aspire to find ways to do this for the generations that will come after me.
It’s so important to have the opportunity for advancement and to see other women in these positions – this creates a goal to work towards.
It’s also important to see different perspectives, understand different thought-leadership processes, and get rid of the idea that there are ‘traditional gender roles’ in the workplace. Regardless of your gender, there is a place for you to make a difference.
Who are some women who have inspired you during your life – both personally and professionally?
Easy – my sister has inspired me both personally and professionally!
She has worked her way up the corporate ladder for the past 10 years while maintaining the balance of being a mother and a Lead Financial Consultant. This has meant a lot of long nights, working weekends, and facing the constant internal struggle many working parents feel when being judged for putting their families before their careers.
I think she’s done an amazing job at balancing both, and she will forever be my role model.
What’s something at work that makes you feel empowered?
When I am in a meeting with colleagues and they ask my opinion, whether it is how best to overcome a challenge or how best to excel at a task, I always feel my thoughts are valued.
There is no hierarchy of ‘my way is the best way’ – we are all just people who represent different backgrounds, role types, and levels of experience collaborating together because we all have something of value to share.
What is the most important piece of advice you have been given about your career?
Listen and understand the why. In most of our day-to-day tasks, whether internally or externally, a person just wants to be heard.
When you can understand the reasoning behind a task, a change, or a way of thought, you can be a more effective teammate.
Sarah Haslam Client Service Manager Empyrean Team Member Since 2022
Is workplace equity important in the work you do? If so, why?
Yes. As employees, we all should have the opportunity to access the same resources as one another and be treated fairly with respect like any human being. Equity plays a huge role in how an employee sees themselves as valuable due to their ability, knowledge, and experience.
Who are some women who have inspired you during your life – both personally and professionally?
I feel fortunate that I have had several women who have and continue to inspire me. My Mother for her strength, both of my grandmothers for their will and determination, and my Mother-in-law for her perpetual ‘can do’ attitude.
I’ve had strong women behind me all these years and it inspires me each and every day to show up and do my best. I always carry this attitude/mindset with me at work and in my personal life.
What moment made you most proud to be a woman of Empyrean?
I love to see we have women in leadership; this is HUGE and a wonderful representation!
I also appreciate the fact I get to collaborate with so many different people and all walks of life and when it boils down to it, I don’t feel like one individual treats me differently because I’m a woman and I appreciate that most of all.
Do you have a special message you’d like to share with the group?
Only YOU can decide if today is going to be a good day to have a GREAT day and don’t sweat the small stuff!
What’s something (in life or at work) that makes you feel empowered?
My family keeps me going, they are my number one fans, and I know I weather all the seasons much better at work, in life, and especially at home with them close by for all the cheers, hugs, tissues, and most importantly their motivation! They are my WHY.
What is the most important piece of advice you have been given about your career?
Do not take things too personally. At the end of the day, we are all humans and NOT robots – remember to give one another and most importantly ourselves some grace. Always check in with your team, you never know what someone might be going through, and talking to them for 5 -10 minutes to see how they are will forever be a game changer!
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