When Brandon Scarborough, co-founder of Power Group worksite division and PowerEnroll at Power Group Cos. in Overland Park, Kan., first jumped into the benefits business, it was at Healthcare Services Group where he focused on offering benefits services to housekeeping and dietary employees in nursing homes. But there was a problem. Scarborough quickly learned many of these employees made little in wages and couldn't afford the available benefits, he explains.  

“I found out these employees got offered basically nothing because they didn't make enough money and couldn't afford benefits, so I made a couple of phone calls to friends I knew were in the insurance industry to see about figuring out a way to offer these employees some sort of benefits,” Scarborough says. “I decided I knew enough people in the nursing home industry that I could start a company and be successful at offering benefits.”

In 2005, Scarborough founded Benefit Design Group, which allowed him to focus strictly on providing voluntary benefits to low-wage workers employed by nursing homes. Scarborough continued his business until he merged with Power Group Cos. in 2007 when the company wanted him to run a new worksite division. 

Enrollment matters

Since Scarborough joined Power Group, enrollment emerged as a large part of his responsibilities, he says. Setting up the enrollment, working with the carriers and implementing the most effective technology are all part of Scarborough's responsibilities, which keeps him plenty busy, but he also takes the time to personalize each enrollment approach. For some employers, sponsoring wellness fairs and conducting biometric testing helps increase enrollment engagement while distributing prefilled applications works for other populations.