YorkHoist Offers Competitive and Flexible Benefits With Benepass

Background

Family owned and operated since 1975, YorkHoist is recognized as the leader in the overhead crane and material handling industry by providing the highest quality of client service and competitive pricing. YorkHoist is committed to upholding the highest safety standards and giving back to local communities while creating and maintaining strong, long-lasting, and trusting relationships.

Providing modern benefits in a traditional industry 

“I've seen an increase in job applicants. When I do phone interviews and talk about our Benepass program, all I hear people say is, "Really? You offer that? Really?" – Denise Myers, HR Manager

Employees today are seeking organizations with great benefits and more flexibility than ever before. However, administering flexible benefits is a challenge for smaller organizations and even more so for those that operate in industries where in-person work is still a necessity. As organizations seek to keep current employees happy and attract new talent, they are often looking for new ways to make individuals feel recognized and rewarded. 

YorkHoist wanted to offer a lifestyle spending account (LSA) and perks program to its employees. LSAs are a non-salaried allowance that employees can use according to their personal preferences. They are fully funded and customized by the employer, allowing maximum flexibility by enabling employees to personalize their benefits to their unique needs. 

YorkHoist was frustrated by its initial vendor’s limitations and lack of flexibility. “The vendors that employees could use were limited, and we couldn’t customize or update benefits easily,” said Denise Myers, HR Manager at YorkHoist. Their vendor went out of business, and the search began for a new vendor that offered flexible benefits and an easy-to-use platform.

With Benepass, the YorkHoist team is now able to offer its employees the flexibility they were seeking in an increasingly competitive environment. “This is a competitive compensation market, and we're now able to include the benefits that we have with Benepass in our total compensation package,” Denise said. 

Designing a new perks program for recruitment and retention

Today, eligible team members receive virtual and physical Visa cards to use for their LSA and perks program. The pillars of a benefits program are customizable, and YorkHoist worked with Benepass to outline a few key LSA and perks categories: 

• LSA (general flexible spending) 
• Grocery membership 
• Safety shoes 
• Apparel 
• Wi-Fi
• Professional memberships

The policy was then coded directly into the Benepass platform and Visa card. All eligible employees were invited to join the platform and could start using their accounts on day one. Different categories also have unique policies on monthly vs. yearly contributions and the rollover of funds. 

The flexibility and ease of use have made the program a success, with YorkHoist now seeing an average engagement rate of 86%. “I think our employees definitely find Benepass easy to use, and their choice in vendors is pretty much wide open,” Denise said. Organizations like YorkHoist may have certain limits on how much flexibility they can offer due to the nature of their business or the safety of workers, yet they have still created a positive culture by offering an easy-to-use benefit program.

It has also acted as an excellent recruiting tool. “It has become a huge part of my recruiting efforts in recruiting new talent, as well as the retention of the current employees,” Denise said. 

Eliminating administrative burden on a small team

“The dashboard is really beneficial to me and the VP of Operations. It helps us to see participation rates and plan our budget for the next year.” – Denise Myers, HR Manager

As a small and busy organization, YorkHoist wanted a platform that would not require extensive employee training. With Benepass, employees simply download the app and begin to spend their benefit dollars. HR policies are enforced at the point of sale. The spend is either a go or no go, and the employee is immediately notified on their app. The Benepass platform is easy to set up, implement, scale, and change as needed. For example, after realizing that few employees were using the complimentary company phone, YorkHoist ended their phone program and added a new WiFi pillar instead. 

Benepass also communicates with employees directly, taking a load off the HR team’s plate. The Benepass platform and Visa card eliminate the need for reimbursements and expense report tracking, although employees can submit for reimbursements if they spend over the allotted stipend. Once an employee makes a transaction, they can easily track it via the mobile app. “Employees can manage their accounts themselves, which I love," Denise said. "It allows them to monitor their transactions and reclassify their transactions as they desire."

Key results

“We are a very family-oriented company. Benepass allows you to walk the talk in treating our employees like family.” – Denise Myers, HR Manager

• More flexibility and increased engagement: Giving employees more choice in how they use their LSA dollars has led to an average monthly engagement rate of 86%. 
• Big benefits at a small organization: Benepass is easy to implement and use. It is a cost-effective solution for providing large-scale benefits at a small company. Benepass also communicates with employees directly, taking a load off the HR and Finance team’s plate.
• Benefits aligned with company values: As a family-oriented organization, the new perks program gives employees the recognition and rewards that they deserve. 
• New tool for retention and recruitment: The company’s ability to deliver flexible benefits has been a great tool in a difficult and competitive recruiting market.