For Beth Skalitzky, senior director of people rewards at home-based care company Compassus, the well-being of her professional caregiver workforce is a top priority. Over the past year, as the organization's headcount grew more than 60%, she's implemented a comprehensive benefits strategy that reflects the needs of her workforce and the company.
"The real innovation wasn't tied to any single vendor, but to the seamless integration of these programs, ensuring team members experienced smooth, impactful support without disruptions to their experience," Skalitzky said. "The program addressed several critical objectives: improving caregiver retention, supporting joint venture growth, ensuring a sustainable cost trend for the organization, and providing more flexible, holistic support for team members, including mental health resources, retirement security, and affordable health care."
Determining where to invest relied heavily on data, particularly employee feedback.
"Survey insights were transformed into actionable initiatives tailored to the unique needs of caregivers in hospice and home health," Skalitsky said. "Enhancements included offering lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs, expanding access to mental health services, and creating a more adaptive benefit design for caregivers with nontraditional work schedules."
The evidence-driven strategy means Skalitsky and her team can be confident that current offerings will make a "meaningful difference" in the lives of employees, and that there is an established approach to meet the evolving needs of Compassus' team.
"Our roadmap was rooted in data, with every decision tied to measurable goals based on caregiver feedback. The benefits program operates as a "living system," balancing cost-avoidance mechanisms with initiatives that enhance team member experience," she said. "A continuous feedback loop informed by engagement surveys ensures informed decision-making and meaningful improvements year after year."
Beth will be honored at EBN's Benefits at Work conference in September, which you can
