Speaker 0:00

You're listening to People Behind the Benefits, the podcast exploring the people, ideas, and decisions shaping the employee benefits industry. Thanks for being here

Jordon Kosloski 0:14

All right. Well, uh, wanted to start and kick things off by saying welcome to "The People Behind the Benefits" podcast, Olivia. Uh, we'll, we'll start with some brief introductions, and then we'll dive into some questions, but I'll let you introduce yourself first.

Olivia Smith 0:27

Yeah, Jordan, thanks for having me. Um, my name's Olivia Smith. I am the human resources generalist for the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. Um, I'm an HR department of one, so I'm excited to share a bit more about what that means. But yeah, I've been there about almost, I'm coming up on eight months.

Jordon Kosloski 0:46

Awesome. Awesome. And I know you and I connected-- how did we meet? Was it at a SHRM conference, I think originally?

Olivia Smith 0:53

Yeah, I think honestly, he used that little Whova app and was like, "Wanna get coffee?"

Jordon Kosloski 0:57

Yes, you're right. I was attending, and I was like, "Hey, this person's in," I think payroll or HR. "We should connect and network." Um, yeah, you're

Olivia Smith 1:05

Yeah.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 1:05

It was the Moodle app at SHRM. Um...

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 1:07

And now it's been, like, four years.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 1:09

Yeah, I know. That's crazy. That's crazy. Well, I guess, um, we could start there. So tell us a little bit about maybe your last role, and I, I think you were focused more in payroll and, and kind of the transition into your generalist role and I, I guess what's changed, what's excited you, uh, what you've liked, all, all the above.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 1:28

Yeah, um, I really enjoyed my last role. I learned a lot because there were 10 companies, so I really had to learn a little bit of everything. But it's been interesting to transition out of payroll.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 1:40

Mm-hmm.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 1:41

moving into, like, a broader HR role has meant I needed to expand from, like, being detail-oriented operationally to thinking much more strategically, um, across the employee experience. So I would say, um, I had to probably strengthen my strategic thinking and problem-solving in areas I hadn't, um, directly owned before.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:00

Mm-hmm.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:01

like getting familiar with leading open enrollment and the performance review process. Um, but yeah, payroll was, like, super transactional and deadline-driven, but being in a generalist role is, um, navigating a, like, influence and communication and navigating ambiguity.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:18

Makes sense. I remember, I think it was two years ago at SHRM, I was talking to you, and you were just like, "Yeah, payroll deadlines were, were eating me

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:26

Yeah.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:26

and I remember you telling me it was like two of your full days of the week, right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:30

Yeah, Monday and Tuesday were huge deadlines. 'Cause payroll, Monday and Tuesday, HR, Wednesday through Friday. That was basically my deadline schedule, but every day had a deadline.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 2:40

I, I remember talking to you about that. That's funny. Um, so I guess talk to me about being that one-person HR. I know you said some of the ambiguity. Um, and I think when we initially spoke a couple weeks ago, you talked about employees across different countries. So what have you taken, like what's been new and what's been the hardest part about the, the new role?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 3:00

Yeah, um, what's been new has been navigating, um, managing employees in different countries. We use an employee of record, so that helps, so I don't have to know all the answers all the time. But, um, learning how to manage internationally, collaborating across time zones, even recruiting for those positions and making sure that we understand, um, just navigating what it looks like financially and benefits-wise. But then also, um, it's been interesting to be an HR department of one, 'cause at first I thought, "I need to know all the answers." Um, and you really don't have anyone else to directly consult with, so it's been interesting to figure out how to find the answers that I need, whether I'm using, like, SHRM's website or collaborating with, like, people in my network. So yeah, just sort of finding my confidence in, like, the answer that I provide is the one I'm confident in.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 3:51

Awesome. No, it makes sense. And I know one of the things in how we connected originally, I was, I was in the broker side, and I know you've worked with a couple different brokers. Um, so, uh, l- in searching for some of those answers that you just talked about, where and how have you, uh, I guess, used your, your consultant or your broker that you're, you're currently with today?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 4:10

Yeah, I definitely use them for anything benefit related. Um, I know right now I'm sort of initiating a transition out of a, um, FSA provider, so I lean on them for support. Um, really my... I just navigated my first open enrollment back in December, so I leaned on them heavily, like, "Hey..." 'Cause learning a new company's benefits is like learning a new language, like what goes where. So I sent a lot of emails. But, um,

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 4:40

good.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 4:41

say definitely on the benefit side, I lean on them.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 4:44

Do you ever, from like a strategy and more broad perspective, have you thought about leaning on them for that, or ha- have you had those conversations yet?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 4:52

Um, I haven't. I think either, one, I haven't decided to ask those type of questions, but I also know they're a smaller, more local broker, so I think I still need to get to know, like, what their capabilities and limitations are. Um, but so far it's just been strictly, uh, benefits related, especially currently navigating the Blue Cross Blue Shield in Michigan situation.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 5:13

Yes. Yeah, and that's ongoing and what? Like 45 days out from decision time, right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 5:18

I know. My benefit broker remains optimistic, so I am too.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 5:23

Good. I, I feel the same way. I mean, whenever you see these large-scale negotiations, I, I feel like it's always a buzz creation, and then they close a deal.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 5:31

Right. I'm like, "Do it quicker." I know you guys don't like all this paperwork either, so

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 5:37

It's gotta be something for pu-publicity is my guess. We'll see. Um, okay, what else? What else have we talked about? So some of the other things that we spoke about prior were actual decision, like how decisions get made at a smaller firm. And I know you went from, uh, I think your last company was maybe, uh, in the hundreds or close to a thousand, and now it's, like, 22. So

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 5:59

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 6:00

to me about, like, actual benefits decisions, and prior to open enrollment last year, like what went into some of these decisions and, um, at switching carriers, et cetera.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 6:10

Yeah. Um, it's actually pretty... It's, it's a pretty simple process being only a team of 22. Um,

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 6:16

Mm-hmm.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 6:17

I'm included in the renewal process, so I, I sit in with that meeting, but the only other person in that meeting is my manager, which is the VP of administration. Um, decisions and benefits are made, like if there's something new, I'm probably the first point of contact, and then I would present that new information to my manager, who may consider it, and at the end of the day, the president approves it. So there's really only two more people above, like higher on the ladder than me to get those decisions through. Um, and for the most part, the president leans on us and our expertise to make those decisions, so she more just says, "Great, cool," and it's myself and my manager coming down to those decisions.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 6:57

Makes sense. I feel like it's similar even at larger firms too, right? Where you've got like a director of HR or a VP of HR, whatever you want the title to be, and then they've got one, and then they've got another decision. So it's kinda like a, a two-step decision-making process anyway,

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 7:11

Yeah.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 7:12

whether it's a small or large f-company, right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 7:14

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I would say it depends how many people might be in the HR department, how many tiers you've got. Depends who was contacted first. Maybe that person has two managers above them. But it would generally be that same hierarchy, like the HR person, the manager, maybe the CFO if you have one,

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 7:30

Yeah.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 7:30

um, and then of course the president.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 7:33

Makes sense. One, one other thing that I've been trying to bring up during these episodes and during these, uh, conversations is, uh, ideally a lot of our audience is consultants looking to just gain better insight into how HR decisions are made, um, h-how to get a seat at the table, et cetera. So I, I guess from that perspective that we were just talking about, they assume, or I should say consultants a lot of time assume that HR is really the decision-maker. How would you describe it, and even from your last job and, like, what you've seen, do you think that, like, that's the end-all be-all, or do you think that there's just a lot more that they need to get their arms around before m-maybe earning, earning a client?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 8:17

I think I actually have a different answer to this. I think there's two sides to it There's many situations where HR is not the de- decision maker, but more of the facilitator or like initiator for these changes. And I've noticed two things. One, I've noticed sometimes if a broker realizes HR is not the decision maker, they might try and jump and ask, "Okay, can you send me to the next person?" But I think at the end of the day, if they do move forward with that organization, you're coming right back down to that HR person anyway, and you're gonna be working with them directly. So I think it's important to like nurture that relationship first, even if you can't get to the next person on the level just yet, because they've got you in the back of their mind and they're thinking about you, and they might value your relationship.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 9:01

Yeah.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 9:02

Two, if, um, a broker recognizes that maybe the HR isn't a decision maker, that's also an opportunity for them to open the door for that HR person and include them in those decision-making conversations going forward, and that makes HR feel like they have a seat at the table too if their organization doesn't yet, um, recognize that HR plays a strategic role in these kinds of conversations.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 9:27

100%. That's what I was talking about in the first episode that was released. I don't know if you listened to it, Olivia, but, um, we were talking about how HR needs a seat at the table, and it's almost like some of these firms, whether they're, you know, a couple hundred employees or a couple thousand, actually the couple thousand probably do have a seat at the table. But, um, some of the smaller companies, you know, it's, it's a lot of times just the HR person coming in and saying, "We need a seat at the table," and asking for it. And that w- that was the, that, that was the consensus of you gotta ask for it or else it won't be given.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 9:59

Right.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 10:01

and it's also interesting what you said. So I've worked with a couple different companies. When I was a, a consultant at Aon, um, HR was the direct buyer, and they were the direct person making that decision of saying, "We wanna go with this broker or this one." Um, and then there was others I had great relationships with, there was just nothing they could do, and it was, it was decided by the CFO or CEO.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 10:23

Yeah. I think it's like sort of up in the air. It really depends on how the company's structured, maybe how long that HR person has been there and the trust they have in that person to just handle it. Um, I know, like, for example, not to over-disclose, but like when I was hired into this role, I was told this isn't a decision-making role. But I think that, like, sure, I don't make major decisions, but I have much more of an influence than previously advertised, and I think that just has to do with the type of person I am and like the actions I've taken since being in the role and the trust that's being built between myself and upper leadership.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:02

makes sense. And I think that's part of... that's an important point too, 'cause it's not like you're gonna step in day one and be like, "I'm deciding we're changing this benefit," right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:09

Right

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:10

But nine months down the road, if you're like, "Hey, I've identified these gaps. I've seen employees asking for this. This is the change I think we should make," I guarantee your influence will have a lot more weight,

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:21

And that's exactly what just happened this past week. Um, I did my own due diligence researching different FSA vendors 'cause we wanna switch everything over. And, um, I met with my broker, he joined the meeting, and by the end of it, I presented my, like, case to my manager, and she was like, "Great, go for it." There was no question about it.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:41

That, that's the important part. So like influence is an important, uh, aspect of it,

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:46

Yes, definitely.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 11:47

Yeah. Makes sense. Uh, okay, what else we got? We talked about open enrollment. Uh, you ran your first open enrollment back in the fall. It was maybe harder than you expected, or was it what you expected? Talk me through kind of like beginning, planning, and, and close.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 12:04

Well, definitely easier than I expected. I've never owned open enrollment before, but if I am to, the first one is gonna... It's better having only twenty-two people. That way I could really see from start to finish where everything's going in the system, what I need to do with all the elections, and then monitoring, like, all the different platforms that I have to enroll, um, employees in. But also, my broker is super helpful. Even though we only have twenty-two employees, they're like: "Oh, we can enroll them for you if you want. No big deal." So that was super helpful.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 12:36

Yep.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 12:37

honestly, the more challenging side might have been the platform we were using. Setting it up inside the system is a bit challenging. Um, I think we've had this platform for almost ten years, so maybe we're due for something new. But, um, I would say I think my broker did a great job supporting us along the way. Um, and everything went smoothly. I didn't have any hiccups, and that's always a plus.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 13:00

That is a plus, especially when things actually close and, um, you don't have to go fix things in the background, right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 13:06

Yeah, exactly. I had to learn a few new things. Like, I never managed an HSA before and learning how that ties together. Um, and also normally, like at my past role, we only had one plan option. At this current position, we have three plan options.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 13:20

Okay.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 13:21

making sure I have all of those in order and just making... like, being detail-oriented was still super important to the, um, process

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 13:29

Makes sense. I guess the other thing I just thought of off top of head, it's actually not one of the things we talked about prior, when it comes to like people understanding their benefits and either during enrollment or even, you know, in the last couple of months, have you gotten a lot of questions around things that you might have thought are more basic or people should understand, or has there been any kind of crazy questions you didn't expect in this role?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 13:54

Um, not so far. What I found most interesting is sometimes people rely on their spouses to make the decision, and they don't have any idea what's going on. And that's totally fine, but, um, I think it's important to understand what benefits you have so that you can fully utilize them to, like, their fullest capacity.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 14:11

Yep.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 14:11

Um, and also just understanding what works best for you financially, where you can possibly save money, and w- what you can lean on in hard times. So we try to make sure our employees understand the entire package because we, um, have a portal that they can go to and look at all the current rates for the year, um, along with links to other resources, their EAP. And then we also have our broker come in for a, like, 30-minute presentation to walk them through it each time as well, or every open enrollment season. So we try and make sure that they fully go in to open enrollment knowing what's on the table.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 14:47

Awesome. Yeah, it's good. I mean, I think

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 14:50

Yes.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 14:50

education's good. It's also about, like, how people feel they have a resource during the year too, right? And I think the smaller the company, with you being a one-person HR team, people probably feel hopefully a little more comfortable coming to you. Um, but some of the

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:05

I would hope so.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:06

people avoid benefits questions, you know?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:09

Yeah, definitely. And even I used to avoid benefit questions. In fact, benefits to me used to be this very vague, confusing concept, and so I'm glad I got this role because now I feel like I understand it better, and I feel more confident in my ability to administer them.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:23

Well, probably just looking into the FSA and, and learning the new HSA, you probably learned quite a bit too,

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:28

Yes, that, and then there were even changes to, um... 'cause we operate with a 403for retirement, and there were even changes to that federally over the last year, so making sure we updated those, um, plan documents. That was a doozy.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:44

I'm sure it was. I'm sure it was. changing those things is never, never a walk in the park.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:49

Nope, but that's why we have a good attorney.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 15:52

Got that right. You got that right. Okay, let's talk about change. So it's another topic that has come up a few times on these, uh, conversations that I've had with folks. Um, it, it seems like the most common thing I'm hearing now. It's just like how people navigate change, whether it's a benefits decision, you know, change in leadership, whatever it may be. And I know when we first connected when you got your new role, uh, you walked into an organization that was somewhat in a, amid transition with a new president coming in, staff was adjusting to the change. Um, there might have been an engagement survey in process. So talk to me about how you built the credibility as the HR leader when the culture itself was kind of going through some change.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 16:33

Yeah. Well, from my personal experience, I've noticed that anyone who, like, storms into an organization and wants to make changes, demands, and things like that, they don't get very far. So I'm very intentional about, um, letting people take their time to get to know me. Um, I also recognize that the HR, uh, generals they had before me had been there 30 years, and so those are big shoes to fill, and that is a level of trust and respect that doesn't come day one. So, um, yeah, I just try to make sure that my employees know that I see them, and then I do this by finding, like, small ways to appreciate them, include them. And I've reassured them that, like, yes, while HR is meant to protect the company, I also have their best interest and them in mind whenever I'm making those decisions, um, that protect the company, and that protecting the company protects them. And then I also pride myself in being very, like, quick to respond to emails. Not in, like, a I'm constantly, like, watching my email way, but letting them know that I prioritize their, um, their inquiries and concerns and that I will try to find an answer for them as quick as possible because it's important so that they can get back to their work. Um, and then, oh yeah, I also make sure... For decisions, I make sure that the respective team or anyone affected is in the loop, and I give them, like, a full heads-up and a detailed description of, like, what's changing, what's happening, what's the timeline with that. Um, and you know, I'm happy. I feel like it's working 'cause, uh, one of my staff members told me that they noticed zero disruption from the change between my, the last HR generalist and me. There was no hiccup in processes, quality, and that, like, meant so much to me at the time. 'Cause I mean, even then, I was only four months in. This is, like, even four more months later, and I'm like, "Wow, okay. We're on the right track."

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 18:24

Anytime you can make a change, whether it's a new position or a, you know, something in their product or something that affects them, and someone can tell you zero disruption, y-you should definitely take that as a very, very good compliment.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 18:36

I was very happy. I went home. I told my whole family.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 18:40

That's awesome. Well, 'cause if you think about like basic human psychology, any change is uncomfortable, so people are gonna be resistant to it, you

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 18:48

Exactly. I know, and I feel like right now in HR, it's all about positive change. Change, change, change. And I like change. I understand we need to be change agents, but I think there's also something to sitting in the change, seeing what it creates, and letting people get back to their routines. 'Cause I think there is something to having routine and stability at your workplace.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 19:10

Absolutely. Okay, one other thing that I just thought of when talking about change and just like what's going on in society too lately with AI, how, how have you all like embraced it? How are you all talking about it internally? Is it making big changes? Like, talk to me about that.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 19:26

Yeah. Um, my workplace is super proactive. In fact, the policy started even before my time. We just finalized it again, 'cause I mean, AI is constantly changing. So, um, we sort of have it in the policy that we will review and update every six months. But, um, we're embracing it, but I also think it was very thoughtful. Um, our IT manager led the initiative, and he has been super intentional and thoughtful about it as well, gauging employees and asking them what they're worried about, what their fears are, what they don't want to use it in, what they do want to use it in. Um, and I like that 'cause I was even asked how do I want to use AI in HR, and I said, "I refuse to use it in recruiting in any aspect." I really like keeping the human in recruiting.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 20:09

Yep.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 20:09

Um, and it's respected. There's no question. And, uh, we developed... We're using Claude, and so we have, um, sort of like just a WDI Claude that everyone can collaborate in. It's still a learning process, and I think we even have like a training set up in two weeks to do a deep dive. But, um, yeah, my organization is very proactive about it, and I feel like we're on top of it, and we all have the general understanding that we want it to use it for good.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 20:35

That's great. S- that, that's what I think is the important part, and we've done a couple things internally at our company too, uh, where we've actually just set up like monthly or even e- every once in a while just sessions to say, "Hey, I'm using it this way. Have you all thought about doing it for this?" And I feel like it just sparks different ideas for people of how they can actually take it back to their, their daily job too.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 20:56

Yeah, definitely. And like I-- I mean, I'm personally, I'm 50/50. I understand and recognize the environmental impact, so I try not to use it as much, but it is sure helpful for revamping performance review processes.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:10

Absolutely. Absolutely. And I don't know if I told you

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:12

Exactly

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:17

up the recruiting side because there's just a certain element that, like, humans have to, humans have to be a part of. Uh, I, I don't know, maybe, maybe other people think otherwise with it. But when, when you're going through an onboarding process or an interview process, like the last thing you wanna just be dealing with as a candidate is a bot or just some automated right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:38

Exactly. I can't tell you the number of times I get upset when I call a helpline and it's a bot first. Like, where's my human?

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:45

I know. Push, push zero. Zero, talk to a human.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:50

Exactly.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 21:51

I just was on with Delta yesterday. Um, I was traveling home, and I, I actually got on the phone. I was impressed because I got the bot, and I pushed zero, and it actually connected me to a live human immediately.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:01

Oh, wow. That's

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:02

I know. I was like, "Good

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:03

what the people want.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:05

Right. Exactly. cool. Well, I think we've got about enough time maybe for one or two more questions.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:13

Okay.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:14

One other thing I was thinking about as, as we've been going along is when you think about some of the audience and some of the brokers and what they're trying to do, right? They're trying to get a seat at the table, they're trying to work with you to influence decision to, to have you become a client. like a big piece of advice you would give them, whether it's like learn your organization, um, learn how money's made, maybe just learn what you like and what you manage. Like, what's a piece of advice you would give them?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 22:43

Um, I think it is important for brokers to understand the culture of the w- company that they're focused on, understanding the workforce demographics, 'cause all of this influences the type of benefit package that you're gonna present us during renewal. Um, and I've been in positions where the broker... I mean, they go out to market, they get their rates, and they're like, "Here it is," and that's it, and there's no, like, intentional explanation of maybe why they would go with one package over another. Um, I want my broker to know that they care about my employees, and that they have the employee experience in mind. Um, so I would say that just being intentional about understanding the organization that you're working with.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 23:28

Yeah. Yeah, the, the-- I like that one. That, that's kind of similar to some other ones, but I, I think you, you hit the nail on the head with how you described it. I think it's important for people to actually understand versus like, "Hey, Olivia, I wanna work with you. I can save you money," right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 23:42

Exactly. And there was one more point I was thinking of, and I think, um... Let's see. I was gonna say, we don't just need brokers during open enrollment. I think we need resource support people that are, like, responsive all year round. Like, I know we lean on brokers heavily during renewal season, but, um, especially for those that offer, like, compensation resources, like they can help in so many other, like, a different variety of ways.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 24:13

Mm-hmm.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 24:13

so I think it's also important to be responsive and be on top of providing answers quickly because HR, we have so many people asking questions every day that we might need your help with, and, um, having someone super responsive on the team is very helpful

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 24:28

makes sense. I mean, it's not like you're going to them with a question because you just thought of it out of the blue. It's, it's likely coming from somewhere, right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 24:34

Right. Exactly. So please answer in at least forty-eight hours.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 24:38

Right. Well, and that's the interesting thing too, 'cause different, different HR leaders and different executives, they want to be engaged with in different ways. Um, but I also think you hit the nail on the head with like basic responsiveness and almost more of like proactivity. Because I was just talking to someone-- Actually, the episode that just got released yesterday, I was talking to a chief people officer from like a 230-employee company, and she said she's in constant communication with her consultant,

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:05

Wow.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:06

talk weekly just with different things that come up, and she said they're proactive and they're responsive she wouldn't trade it for the world. Now, she compared it to the prior relationship she had, and she saw her broker twice a year, and that was it.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:18

Oh, wow.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:19

I know.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:20

Yeah. I think it's really important to have that personal relationship. I... Like, especially, like, going back to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan Medicine situation,

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:29

Mm-hmm.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:29

broker has been super proactive in providing me, like, communication materials to, like, send to staff so that they can feel more comfortable in this time. Um, and that's been super helpful, just having a broker that's proactive. They recognize the issues coming up before I do and providing me with, um, like a toolkit to navigate them.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:49

That's huge. No, it makes sense. And it's, it's also like employees are at some point, if they haven't already, gonna come to you with questions like, "What do we do

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:56

Exactly.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:57

right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 25:58

And my answer is always gonna be, "Well, let me go ask my broker."

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 26:00

Right. Or, "They provided me this nice checklist. Here you are."

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 26:04

Exactly. That would be lovely.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 26:06

I love it. Okay, last question. I think it might be a little more near and dear to your heart, uh, developing people in HR. I know you've been involved with some different volunteer work, actually, I think the last couple weeks even, um, a- and just developing early career HR folks. So I, I guess why does that matter to you and, um, what do, what do you wish someone would've told you earlier in your career about it?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 26:26

Yeah. Um, I've actually been volunteering, I wanna say, like almost eight years now. I started out in college supporting my, um, local university chapter of SHRM. But, um, yeah, I love serving others. Um, I find the experience to be rewarding. Um, I meet new people, and then some of those people become close friends. So I really enjoy giving back to the local HR community. Um, I kind of mentally think of it as, you know, when you go to a party and you're the only person there that you know and you don't know anyone else, I like to be the person that buddies up with that person. I'm pretty good at figuring out who- Um, who might be good friends with who, and then by that time they have a person to look forward to, to seeing the next time, and they're more likely to come back, connect with local people in the network. Um, and then I love developing... We have a really great partnership with Eastern Michigan University,

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:25

Mm-hmm.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:25

developing this amazing pipeline for students to leave the, their college, they're graduating, and then immediately hop into a full-time position

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:34

That's

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:34

with people that we trust because they're in our network. We know them, we vetted them. We trust that they're gonna take care of these new students. So I just love it. I love being a part of something larger and giving back. Um,

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:48

No, that's awesome.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:49

yeah.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 27:50

I do too. I-- and I think one thing that guess sparked in my mind when you were talking about that, it's just all about building a good network, but also giving back, right? Like tho- those to me are the two things that I, I thought of as you were talking.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:02

Yeah, 100%. And it's amazing 'cause I get... I have like, uh, how do I describe it? I have told people that when I had nobody or was at my lowest points, I had my HR community, and it's more than just hanging out with people after work. It's like these people, I tell them about my personal life. I go out to get dinner with them, like I know what's happening in their life. And then when I need them, like I can ask them an HR question.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:28

Absolutely. Yeah. That's the whole point of network, right?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:30

Exactly.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:31

That's awesome. Well, cool. Well, I think that rounds out, uh, all the things that we wanted to talk about. I think, uh, you, you brought a great perspective to this, Olivia. I really appreciate your time in, in joining "The People Behind the Benefits" podcast. Excited for this to get released later this month, um, and, and just continuing to, to build on some great content for our, our community. So

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:52

Yeah.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:52

to thank you for your time.

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 28:54

You're welcome. Thanks for having me. This was a lovely experience, and I'm super excited to share it with the world.

squadcaster-6ai0_1_05-14-2026_090708 29:00

Absolutely. Well, I appreciate it. We'll hopefully we'll have to have you back sometime, okay?

olivia-smith--shrm-cp_1_05-14-2026_090708 29:04

Thank you so much. Have a great day.