Vacation Donation. I introduced this policy when I first started at ViaPath. Many issues needed attention, which was the main reason I was hired, and supporting our employees was my top priority. The volume of emails and concerns about employees lacking enough vacation time, especially during holidays, after using it for elimination periods, unexpected situations, and more, was startling. Implementing this immediately showed our employees that the company cares about them beyond work and is dedicated to offering more options to support them.
Employee benefits and perks can help differentiate your compensation package and make a tangible impact on the lives of your employees. In this series, we ask prominent HR and business leaders which benefits and perks have been most successful in their organizations. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Artz.
Jessica Artz is the Chief Human Resource Officer at ViaPath Technologies, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s culture and workforce strategy. With a robust background in human resources spanning over 20 years, Jessica is known for her energetic leadership style and her ability to align the HR function with business needs. She is passionate about fostering an engaged and inclusive workplace, advocating for initiatives that empower employees at all levels to thrive. Under her leadership, ViaPath Technologies has implemented successful programs that enhance employee well-being and drive organizational success. Jessica’s commitment to continuous learning and development is evident in her efforts to mentor emerging leaders within the company, ensuring that the next generation of HR professionals is equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of work. Her strategic vision and dedication to creating an equitable work environment make her an influential leader in the industry.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Before we drive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Absolutely. My original plan was to become a psychologist… hang my shingle, if you will, in my own practice. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology, and my plan was great — until my first job out of college using that degree, which, let’s say, barely paid the bills. During the summer between my junior and senior years, I visited a local staffing agency looking for a job. They loved my personality and asked if I wanted to be a recruiter for them over the summer. I agreed, and that’s how I started and developed my passion for HR. I’ve built on those humble beginnings by expanding my skills in learning & development, employee relations, business partner capabilities, and more — all of which have led me to where I am today.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our most outstanding teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’ll never forget my first job supporting former military officers. The leader of my division was a former 4-start Army General, and we were looking for someone to lead our business for a key federal agency. I was recruiting at the time and decided to sit in for the interview my leader had with this candidate! His deputy came to me after and very nicely told me that I was never to do that again, and we all moved on. I was absolutely clueless! Let’s say I’ve never come close to doing that ever again.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Yes, one of my bosses and mentors was at CSC. I’ll never forget… I was preparing information for a presentation to the HR executive team for our 90,000-person division. I must have had 20 slides. I started going over them with him, and he stopped me at like slide two and said, “These people are extremely busy. You’ll have their attention for maybe 2 minutes. They’ll listen more if you can get their interest in those first few minutes. Trim this down, focus on the points that impact their business areas. You’ll be fine,” he said. So, I did just that. I was fine. I also credit him for sharing an equally important lesson about being an effective partner in the field of HR — “if you can balance the needs of the organization with the needs of the employee, you’ll excel.” It’s hard, not everyone can do it, but it’s critical.” He was right.
Could you please share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein.
This quote is a constant in my life, from my professional to personal difficulties. Not everything goes your way all the time, and being able to recognize that, take a step back, and try to learn from what caused you difficulty can present opportunities to redirect or find another path that leads to what you determine to be success.
Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?
Take a breath and pause when needed. I’m a hard charger, always have been, which works for most situations. However, it can be very overwhelming at times, and the urge to ‘go, go, go” can cause you to miss opportunities for learning new things or hearing new and different ideas.
Let’s now move to the central part of our interview. What are your five most successful employee benefits and perks? Please share an example for each.
1. Vacation Donation. I introduced this policy when I first started at ViaPath. Many issues needed attention, which was the main reason I was hired, and supporting our employees was my top priority. The volume of emails and concerns about employees lacking enough vacation time, especially during holidays, after using it for elimination periods, unexpected situations, and more, was startling. Implementing this immediately showed our employees that the company cares about them beyond work and is dedicated to offering more options to support them.
2. Calm. This has been provided to every employee and up to five members of their household for the past four years. When we launched this, the world was uncertain due to the COVID pandemic. Combine that with the high-stress environments our employees face because of the nature of our work, and it was obvious that we had to offer this. We started Monday Meditation sessions, giving employees a few minutes at the beginning of each week to pause, reflect, and reset for the days ahead. We also provide live and streamed webinars on various health and wellness topics that Calm offers.
3. Flexible Time Off (FTO). We switched to an unlimited, paid time off policy 3 years ago. This means our employees no longer must ‘save up paid leave’ to use for holidays, etc.
4. Care.com. This benefit provides our employees with the ability to search for childcare, elder care, dog sitters, etc., for free. They are responsible for paying for any caregiver they engage. Still, ViaPath pays the monthly fee for our employees, allowing them to create an account, search for the appropriate caregiver, and work to engage them without additional cost.
5. 401 (k) and Fidelity Investments. We moved to a Safe Harbor plan a few years ago, and it has been a massive hit with our existing and new employees. Fidelity is top-notch and is focused on ensuring our employees know the options available to them with their investments, how they can save in different ways, how they can access the funds if really needed, etc.
How do you decide which benefits to offer as part of your compensation package?
Benefits were selected to support broader company objectives, such as attracting top talent, improving retention, and boosting productivity. We have chosen benefits that align with our company values, informed by employee surveys and focus groups. This feedback from employees has allowed us to offer benefits that employees value and to review utilization rates to discontinue benefits that are not valued, reallocating resources elsewhere. In addition to internal surveys and focus groups, we use third-party benchmark data to ensure offerings are attractive and aligned with the market and internal priorities.
At the end of the day, all benefit offerings must be financially sustainable while delivering value. We continue to assess our benefit offerings to determine engagement, retention, and overall performance.
How do you ensure that your team members understand the benefits available to them and utilize them effectively?
We use several methods to ensure employees understand and effectively use their benefits:
- Benefit materials are provided pre-hire to ensure that future new hires understand the benefits being offered and to ensure that they meet their individual needs.
- Benefits are introduced in detail during onboarding, accompanied by guides, videos, and HR contact information to facilitate further clarification about the benefit offerings.
- We run targeted campaigns with webinars, emails, at-home mailers, and intranet updates to explain changes and options.
- Workshops and webinars: regular sessions on topics such as financial wellness, mental health, and retirement are conducted throughout the year.
- Support during key moments, such as having a child or marriage, ensuring employees understand their options.
- Benefits Portals: Centralized platforms allow employees to view, compare, and manage their benefits.
- Decision Support Tools: Interactive tools help employees choose plans based on their personal needs.
- Data Tracking: Companies monitor usage rates to identify underused benefits and adjust communication or offerings.
How do you determine if benefits are successful or not? Could you share a time when you realized that a particular benefit or perk was making a significant difference for your employees?
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One of the key factors we consider is feedback from our employees. We determine whether benefit offerings are successful by combining quantitative metrics, qualitative feedback, and strategic alignment. To measure success, we look at:
- Employee satisfaction and engagement
- Utilization rates
- Cost effectiveness
- Impact on retention and recruitment
- Alignment with company values and DEI goals
Track how many employees use each benefit:
- Enrollment rates (e.g., health plans, retirement savings)
- Usage data (e.g., EAP sessions, wellness programs, tuition reimbursement)
Compare results across departments, locations, and demographics to identify trends or gaps.
Use tools like:
- Surveys (pulse surveys, annual engagement surveys)
- Focus groups or interviews
- Exit interviews to understand if benefits influenced decisions to leave
- Look for patterns in satisfaction, perceived value, and suggestions for improvement.
Evaluate ROI and Cost Efficiency:
- Cost per employee
- Impact on productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare claims
- Retention improvements linked to specific benefits
The Fidelity Investment change I mentioned earlier has made a significant difference. We review the total AUM at each quarterly board meeting, and it continues to grow, indicating that our employees are saving more, which is a positive development. We also track employee engagement with different investment areas, and these are all being highly utilized, which is fantastic.
What are your top 3 tips for developing a successful benefits and perks program that keeps an org competitive and aids employee well-being and satisfaction?
- Design with employee-centric insight. Employee surveys can be segmented by demographics, life stages, and roles to identify employee population needs.
- Ensure flexibility and personalization. Introduce modular or cafeteria-style benefits where employees can choose what suits them. Provide virtual and in-person options to accommodate hybrid and remote teams.
- Communicate clearly and continuously. Even great benefits fail if employees don’t understand or use them.
In your opinion, what are the most undervalued or overlooked benefits or perks that more companies should consider offering?
The demographics and needs of the workforce have changed significantly in the last five years and are still evolving. Therefore, your benefit strategy must be flexible to offer options that serve as many of your workforce as possible. Calm, Care.com, pet insurance/veterinary care, and financial wellness programs can all make a substantial difference across your entire team.
Have you ever had to remove or modify a benefit or perk? If so, could you tell us why and how you handled it?
Yes, we have had several that just were not being utilized by our employees. This is where usage metrics and employee feedback play a crucial role. When we find that a benefit/perk is not having the intended impact, we look to replace it with something similar or altogether different, if our employees and the market express that we should be offering something different. These changes are openly communicated to our employees, along with the reasons and the replacement, and why that’s going to benefit them. The most important part of this is honest communication with your employees so they know you’re listening to their feedback.
We are very blessed to have some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with, and why? He or she might see this.
Princess Kate. I am obsessed with the royal family and have been in awe of Kate ever since she started dating Prince William. She is incredibly classy — I love everything about her and would be honored to get even five minutes with her just to say “hi”.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Readers can follow me through my LinkedIn profile (Jessica Artz, M.A., SPHR | LinkedIn). I do a lot of speaking at conferences on various HR topics, and these are all posted on my profile. I’m also happy to chat/connect with people at any time –reach out!
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!