Member Spotlight: TAH Benefits

Member Spotlight by Jay Hazelbaker, President 

Provide us with a brief summary of your business’ services.

In a nutshell, we become an extension of a company’s HR department.  While the company’s health insurance and other benefit programs are at the core of what we do, over the past 6-7 years, the focus of our effort has shifted to spending more time supporting all HR functions, from automation to compliance to employee communications, benefits related or otherwise.

Tell us about your company’s mission and values.
As it’s currently stated, our mission is to take a personal approach to providing the best all-around experience for our clients in the design, implementation, and administration of their insurance and employee benefit plans.  An unwavering commitment to be the experts in our field will guide the work we do and the relationships we develop with our clients, our co-workers, and the carriers we represent.

How do you stay engaged with trends that you see in your industry?
10 years ago the healthcare industry was about as vanilla as it could be, but since the passage of the ACA, we’ve been in state of constant change.  On the product side, having a good reputation with our carrier partners helps us keep up on the products and programs they introduce or are developing for the market.  From a compliance standpoint, there are industry associations and lobbyists that help keep us informed of what’s going on in Washington.

What is your company culture like?
I think we’ve done a good job of creating a relaxed but yet professional environment.  Most of the time when we’re working closely with a client, it’s when something has gone sideways.  Their premium costs have gone up, or an employee wasn’t able to get a medication they went to pick-up, or they’ve gone on a hiring spree and now they’re drowning in plan administration issues.   It can be any number of things, but in all cases, we really do want to help people, or to put them on a track where they no longer get sideways.  I think having the kind of culture we have, it provides a sort of calm confidence for the client that we’re here for them and that everything will be okay.

What does it take to be a successful employee at your company?
Being caring and self-managing are probably the two most important traits.  We all work hard, we’re all competent and well-educated in our jobs, but you have to care.  And you have to be self-managed.  I’ve told everyone I’ve ever hired, I don’t manage people.  I don’t have time for that.  I manage work.  If I have to manage you – how you work or how you spend your time, you’re not the right fit.  I think employees who get that and are able to do it, appreciate it.  I don’t even know how many weeks of vacation everyone is entitled to.  They all manage it themselves.  They know we have a certain amount of work that needs to get done, that some times during the year are busier than others, that we can’t all be gone at the same time, etc. and they make arrangements to make sure things get done.  I think when you get a collection of those people, the right people, you’re very fortunate and it gives everyone a chance to be successful.

What makes Columbus such a great place to do business?
Most often I think it’s the character of the people you encounter in and around Columbus and central Ohio that makes it good to be working here.  Helping someone who recognizes what you’ve done, how your work has impacted them, and as a result appreciates your effort – that’s what’s rewarding in our business.  A lot of the people we’ve encountered have that appreciation and that makes it a great place to work.

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Website: www.tahbenefits.com