"The role of thebenefits advisor is evolving at a very rapid pace. What specificskills will advisors need to build and maintain their careers inthe coming decades?"

Youth movement

I think one of the most overlooked investments is in the nextgeneration of advisors. We need to be developing talent andknowledge right out of college, so they have the time andexperience to effectively advise clients. Grabbing a former carrierrep who has a lot of connections just isn't enough anymore.

The other piece of advice I would give is spend more timelistening than talking and as a result, "sell" the problems you aresolving, not the products you are going to use.

Nancy Giacolone, president, Olympic CrestInsurance

Absence management

As I look ahead to the skills and expertise needed to compete inthis evolving benefits arena, I point to the rapidly changinglandscape in managing leaves and absences. Whether employerinitiated or state mandated, there is a growing trend to introduceor expand income replacement programs, such as statutorydisability, PTO, paid family leave, paid sick leave, etc. A goodportion of our consulting business, and the topic which hasdominated much of our recent discussions with employer prospectsand clients, derives from the increasing complexity of managing newleaves.

That said, employers seeking to outsource or co-source theirleave management now have better options available to them,including new vendors, higher quality solutions, and an extendedrange of services that includes STD, FMLA, ADA, corporate and stateleaves. Moreover, technological advances now provide seamlessintegration with HCM systems, removing file feeds and nearly allmanual processes. Lastly, some vendors will even indemnify theirrecommendations.

Kevin Kennedy, Benefits Consultant, TriBen InsuranceSolutions

Don't let the train pass you by

A positive trait in our industry is the ability to be morevulnerable about what you do not know. I have been spending a greatdeal of time learning about the strategies and tools that helpemployers improve their benefits and improve the employees'experience with health care/insurance. I then repackage andtranslate this information to educate employers in the greaterHouston area. As fast as things are changing, you have to be outfront learning and sharing the knowledge that others havegraciously passed along.

Are you seeing the blur of the train as it races by, or are youtravelling with it and seeing each of its connected and intricateparts?

Robson Baker, employee benefits and HR advisor,Clarus Benefits Group

Learn the HR lingo

Advisors of the future will absolutely need to have a pulse onHR tech and be willing and able to speak that language with theirclients and carrier partners. Product knowledge alone will only getyou so far; deep understanding of HR technology and the impactthose processes have on product design and deployment is importanttoday. It will be critical to advisors in the future.

Katie Ott, director of worksite practice, M3Insurance

Toss your cookie cutter

Employee benefit advisors must provide custom options andsolutions to their clients. Cookie-cutter approaches are doomed tofail.

Ron Neyer, associate research director,LIMRA

Be empathetic

I would have to say, a goal for not only us as benefitsadvisors, but more importantly as humans, is the need to trulylisten with a goal of empathizing with the person we are talkingwith rather than simply pivoting into the next sales point that wasmemorized. We are all humans and we can help others with theirproblems, but we need to understand them before we can helpthem.

A great quote by Larry King: "I remind myself every morning:Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going tolearn, I must do it by listening."

It may not be new, but sometimes, what is old is new again.

Larry Cass, senior vice president, USI InsuranceServices

A lot to learn

The most important thing we can all do now to ensure our successin the future is set aside our own beliefs that we are experts andput our learning hats back on so we, too, can evolve as newtechnology and new solutions continuously emerge into our legacyindustry.

John Augustine, senior VP of business development,WellNet Healthcare Group

Broaden your horizon

Advisors more and more need to develop strategies to addressdiverse workforces, particularly speakers of other languages. Manyemployees bring different perspectives and priorities (as well as adifferent language) to the workplace. If they are going tounderstand and appreciate benefits, as well as use their plansadvantageously, they will need different education from those of usborn and raised in this country.

Melissa Burkhart, founder and president, FuturoSolido USA

Follow the $

The most important trait in my opinion is the ability to unwinda health plan into each of its moving parts and peel back thelayers to reveal where money is changing hands. Employers deserveto know where all the money is going and why health care is soexpensive. #letsfixhealthcare

Cristy Gupton, founder and president, CustomBenefits Solutions, North Carolina

Think ahead

Adaptability and a clear sense of how much you are willing togive before you are ready to move on. So many advisors manage theirbooks/agencies defensively, always offering more to keep the sameclients at ever-decreasing commission rates. They wait for abreaking point before they look to exit, instead of accepting thatthis probably won't be their forever career and strategicallypositioning themselves for exit.

Amy Evans, president, Colibri InsuranceServices

Reinvention

Advisors will have to be committed to education and reinventingtheir practices to keep pace with the rapidly evolving healthinsurance and health care marketplaces. The forward-thinkingadvisor should speak just as much about health care as they doabout health insurance, as they are as intertwined as two subjectscan be!

Niko Caparisos, health and welfare consultant,Prosperity Benefits

Jack of all trades

The 2020s will be the new era of health care delivery andpayment reform, replacing the PPO era and ACA compliance era of the2010s. Thus, knowledge of local (patient and employee radius)health care systems' procedures, billings and employer-specificdata (biometric, demographic, translational, clinical) relative topayment, will be the CEO's reasons to hire an advisor.

Because consumerism/cost-shifting to employees and patients willend with scarcity of employment and governmental intercession, theadvisor will need to have knowledge of contracting, administrationand implementation of risk-sharing financial arrangements betweenthe provider and employer. On-site, near-site and concierge will bean integral part of the risk-sharing group health plan offering.Specific to brokerage, group health and workers' compensation willcome together as a result of occupational and non-occupational carecontracting together in orthopedics and other ambulatory surgicalcenter DPC contracts.

Andrew Serio, Andrew J. SerioConsulting

The short list

Adaptive, active listener, learner and skeptical optimist.

Tom Avery, founder/CEO, Innovative BrokerServices

Collaboration is key

The days of "quote and hope" are forever gone. Thank goodness!Today's employee benefits advisor has to bring to the table awealth of knowledge in several areas, including cost containment,value-based plan designs, compliance and technology. The only wayan advisor can deliver this knowledge is by collaborating withother forward-thinking advisors. Otherwise, what you're offeringyour clients is the best solution you know of, but may or may notbe the best solution available. We have to challenge ourselves tochallenge the status quo.

Joey Hall, founder/president, RemedyAdvisors

Nothing to hide

The single most important trait that advisors should adopt iscompensation transparency. The days of carrier deals scribbled oncocktail napkins, hidden override bonuses and special backroomkickback incentives are in the rear view mirror. Successfuladvisors will adopt a fully stated, all-in compensationarrangement. No other income will be received on behalf of theclient unless specifically expressed and agreed upon, includingrewards, trips, sporting events or even golf outings.

New and innovative approaches may also include performance-basedcompensation structures with guarantees where the advisor doesn'tget paid unless they deliver results/ROI. This ensures that theadvisor and their customer are working together and truly rowing inthe same direction.

Robert Sankey, vice president, Benefits ConsultingDivision, First Commonwealth Insurance Agency

Lifelong students

Those who want to lead clients best will be constantlearners/students of our business. They must be looking for thebest solutions and services to drive employer health costs downwhile improving the experience for the employee.

Suzy K. Johnson, president, Employee BenefitAdvisors of the Carolinas

Make the connection

To build and maintain a career in benefits, advisors of tomorrowwill focus on a niche. Employers are seeking an advisor who canprovide a high level of support and produce quantifiable results.We can't be everything to everyone, and in order to fulfill theirneeds, we will have to narrow what our audience looks like and howwe engage with them. We are already seeing advisors partnering upto work with clients in the areas they specialize in, whether it'spharmacy or direct primary care.

Advisors of tomorrow will connect human resources and theC-level. Instead of focusing on "who we should sell to," we willneed to inspire HR to think differently about the entire ecosystemof technology, humans and cost, and how they impact each other.

Jessica Du Bois, benefits consultant, BusinessBenefits Group

People still matter

Personal relationships will never change. No matter howtechnology does, we are still humans. People want to do businesswith people they trust. Being known as a trustworthy advisor willalways be a top priority for anyone to maintain an employeebenefits business!

Dan Giusti, co-fonder, Legacy BenefitsGroup

Listen up!

Today's new word for every benefits advisor is "Listen!" Why?Because an advisor must be able to advise. To actually give goodadvice, we must listen to what our clients are saying and what theyare asking for. What they need and what their employees need tofeel healthy, protected and—possibly most important—financiallysecure.

Nowadays, with so many options for coverage, PPO, HMO, EPO, POSand various plan administration options and a myriad of deductiblepoints, understanding what will work best for your client iscrucial for your success and their success. Many employees work tohave health benefits and expect their employer to actually offercompetitive, cost-effective and coverage-rich options.

Sim Feuer, president and CEO, Platinum EnrollmentSpecialists

One more thing…

Advisors are some of the worst businesspeople in the world,focused almost solely on top-line activities, never on the bottomline, intelligent spending allocation or asset development. A deepawareness of the mechanics of business, the laws of capital andmanaging financial assets will be a superpower in years tocome.

Trey Taylor, CEO, Taylor InsuranceServices