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Notes From the Window Seat

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Notes From the Window Seat

Your Benefits Package Is Outdated (And It’s Costing You Talent)

April 20, 2026 • Marty Pearson

0:00 | 11:09

Most business owners don’t design their benefits package—they inherit it.

Health insurance.
401k.
Two weeks of vacation.

It’s the standard formula… but it’s built for an employee that doesn’t actually exist.

In this episode, I challenge the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to benefits and introduce a smarter, more flexible way to think about compensation—one that aligns with what employees actually value.

If you’re trying to attract and retain great people without simply increasing payroll, this conversation will shift how you think about benefits.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why traditional benefits packages quietly create disengagement
The hidden inequity in “equal” compensation
Why most companies have a benefits habit—not a strategy
A flexible, budget-based approach to benefits design
How customization can improve retention without increasing cost

Reflection Questions:

❓If your team could redesign your benefits package, what would change?

❓Are you offering what people actually value—or what you’ve always offered?

❓Where might you be overspending without creating real impact?

If you’re ready to rethink how your business supports and retains your people, we offer executive coaching and strategic consulting to help you build a better business—one decision at a time. Let's chat!

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https://www.lftconsult.com/themindfulleader

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SPEAKER_00 0:28

Leadership and execution problems. On this podcast, we cut through the noise and focus on the tools, decisions, and mindset shifts that actually move your business forward without burning you out or breaking your team. So whether you're in the office, on the job site, or just starting your day, let's jumpstart your week so that you can lead better, work smarter, and build a better business. Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you actually looked at your benefits package? Not just renewed it, but really looked at it. Because for most business owners, it looks something like this health insurance, 401k, and two weeks of vacation. And maybe if you're feeling generous, a few extras sprinkled in. But here's the problem. That package wasn't designed for your people. It was copied from somewhere else. Welcome back to the podcast. Today I want to talk about something that most businesses treat like a checkbox. But it's actually one of the most powerful tools you have for attracting, keeping, and motivating great people. It's your benefit package. And more specifically, why the traditional one size fits all approach is quietly costing you talent and what you can do differently. Let's break this down. There are three problems with how most companies design their benefits. The first one is you're designing for a person that doesn't exist. Most benefit packages are built for an average employee. But think about your team for a minute. You've got someone in their twenties, maybe single, maybe renting, maybe traveling, someone with a spouse and three kids, another person nearing retirement, someone else who has health coverage through their partner, and maybe someone who desperately needs the health insurance you provide. And yet we hand all of them the exact same package. You're solving for an average employee, and no one feels like they fit. Some people are overserved, some people are underserved, and most people are somewhere in the middle thinking, this isn't really what I would choose. Problem number two, you're creating pay inequity without even meaning to. Now let's talk about something I see all too often when I go into a company to do a benefits analysis. Many owners don't know what they're really paying their people. Often I find they've never done an in-depth analysis of their staff's benefit packages. Let's take two employees. Same role, same salary, but one needs full family health coverage, and the other doesn't need health benefits at all. So you're paying all or a portion of one person's health insurance and nothing for the other. These two people are not really receiving the same total pay. And your employees know it. They may not say it out loud, but they feel it. Two employees, same salary, completely different total compensation. And when people feel like the system isn't fair, even if it's unintentional, it starts to chip away at engagement. Problem number three, you're stuck in a system you didn't design. Most companies didn't intentionally design their benefit package. They inherited it, or they copied it, or they just renewed it and maybe tweaked it a little. But they didn't build it strategically. And now costs go up every year, especially your health care. And instead of asking, is this still the right structure? We ask, how can we possibly afford this again next year? You don't have a benefits strategy, you have a benefits habit. So if the traditional model isn't really working, what's the alternative? Here's a better approach. Give a budget, not a package. What if instead of giving everyone the same benefits, you gave everyone the same budget? Here's what that looks like. You set a budget allowance based on a role or a level. For example, your entry-level employees get eight thousand dollars, your mid-level employees get twelve, leadership gets eighteen. And then you give employees options. Not unlimited chaos, but structured choices. They can allocate that budget towards what matters most to them. This might include health insurance, buy up, buy down, opt-out, additional PTO, different types of insurance, child care support, wellness programs, education or personal development, even taxable cash options in some cases. Now all of a sudden, the employee with coverage through their spouse can say, I don't need health insurance, I want more time off. And the employee with a family can say, I really need health coverage. That's where my budget will go. Let's talk about why this works. First, it increases perceived value without increasing cost. You've already budgeted the money. Now you're just aligning it with what people actually care about. It's not about budgeting more, it's about aligning those dollars better. Secondly, it improves retention. People stay where they feel seen. And this approach says, we understand that your life is different from the person sitting next to you, and that matters to us. It can become a recruiting advantage, especially for small businesses. You're not going to be able to outspend large corporations, but you can outthink them. You're not competing on salary anymore, you're competing on an overall experience. And lastly, it creates ownership. When employees choose their benefits, they understand them better. They value them more. And they take ownership of the trade-offs. All right, now before you completely go rewriting your benefits package, let's be clear. This isn't about throwing everything out. There are still compliance requirements. There are tax implications. There are structures like cafeteria plans that need to be set up correctly. This has to be done thoughtfully. It isn't about removing structure, it's about designing your benefits package on purpose. So let me leave you with a few questions. If your employees could redesign your benefits package, what would they change? Are you offering what people actually value? Or just what you've always offered? And where might you be spending money in ways that aren't creating an impact? Remember, your benefits package is speaking for your company, whether you realize it or not. It can tell your team, we see you and we understand your needs. Or it can say we treat everyone the same because it's easier. And in today's world, customization isn't a luxury anymore. It's an expectation. If you are trying to build a business that attracts great people, keeps them happy, and actually works for the lives they're living, this is one of those areas worth rethinking. Until next week, lead with confidence, focus on your people, and let's build a better business.