For most employees, consideration of benefits comes up once a year during open enrollment. But for the people designing them, it’s a year-round effort that involves employee listening, cost and needs analysis, community building, and adaptation to a landscape that’s always changing. 

Rising healthcare costs, growing employee expectations, and an increasingly complex array of offerings have turned benefits into one of the most strategic areas of the workplace. From Day One spoke with Gui Wu, VP of total rewards and benefits at the consulting firm Accordion, and more recently, the incoming president of the NYC Metro Chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists. 

ISCEBS is a professional organization for benefits and compensation professionals, focused on education, networking, and credentialing. The main credential they recognize is the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation. This is widely recognized in the employee-benefits field and demonstrates expertise in areas like retirement plans, health and well-being benefits, compensation, and financial planning. 

The CEBS designation is earned by completing coursework and passing exams developed by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans in partnership with The Wharton School. It’s now considered the gold standard for benefits professionals. Wu shared insights on how the chapter provides insights and meaning for benefits leaders, the community being built through its membership, and key trends shaping the industry. Excerpts from our conversation:

Q: How does membership in ISCEBS support benefits professionals?

A: There are different entities tied to the society, but what I can speak to is the designation itself—the credential. It has a long history of credibility, dating back to when it was first founded [in 1976]. The designation is often a requirement, or at least preferred, for many benefits roles you see on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and other job boards. So it carries a lot of professional credibility. 

Q: What does it mean to be certified and how does that make a difference for you as a benefits professional? What’s the benefit of getting involved?

A: It’s really about the depth of the content itself. Right now, the program has five exams, covering everything from general benefits administration to ERISA, how it has evolved since inception, and a lot of compliance context. It can be challenging, but operating in the benefits world means you deal with HIPAA information, participant assets, and employer data, so compliance is critical. The program provides a strong foundation in compliance, legal issues, and benefits administration.

Credibility is another major benefit. It makes you more marketable. Similar to SHRM, when people see the CEBS designation, they know the time and effort required to earn it, studying the health and welfare space, compliance, and retirement programs.

Another important aspect is the people. CEBS connects you with other designation holders who work in the same space, so you can share ideas and best practices. For example, through the New York City ISCEBS chapter, I’ve connected with many benefits leaders. We meet regularly to discuss our programs, share stories, and exchange insights about trends, always maintaining confidentiality and HIPAA compliance, but it’s a great way to manage the portfolios more effectively.

 Q: The community aspect seems very important. It seems to be a sometimes niche space, and it’s also constantly changing. How does being part of the ISCEBS community help benefits professionals stay connected and up to date?

A: It’s a small space, and people evolve. Benefits is such a relationship-driven business. I started my career at Cigna as a medical underwriter, and I knew a lot of the sales and account management team there. Over time, some of them moved to the broker space as consultants, while others went to the TPA, or third-party administrator, side. It’s almost like the same group of people rotating through different roles, including myself.

Building on trust is crucial because it really is a relationship business. Being able to articulate the ins and outs of the work, given my underwriting background, with former colleagues is a really rewarding experience. There’s something special about working on the same account again after a few years, but from a different side of the business.

Q: Can you speak about any trends you’re seeing in benefits, at your company, but also, when you’re speaking with other leaders? What are people most interested in?

A: I think you can’t really have this conversation without touching on GLP-1s. Prescription costs are definitely out of control for many organizations and plans, and that’s likely to continue for the foreseeable future. It’s really important for employers to stay on top of the solutions available to help contain costs. Fortunately, we haven’t had to drastically change our prescription programming, but many organizations are facing that challenge.

I also think regulatory pressures and broader healthcare reform are adding complexity. Health insurance carriers and pharmacy benefit managers are under a lot of scrutiny, which in turn puts pressure on employers with rising claims costs. Some of this shifts more toward commercial insurance versus Medicare, because if provider networks or health systems aren’t getting adequate funding or reimbursement from Medicare, they have to make up the difference elsewhere. That’s why healthcare systems and providers are experiencing longer negotiations with insurance carriers when renewing contracts, which negatively impacts members.

 Q: How have you seen employee expectations shift in recent years? 

A:  Employer responsibility has grown significantly compared to 20 years ago. Now, employees are looking for solutions like student-debt assistance, which is one of the largest types of debt in the U.S. Offering these benefits has become crucial for people evaluating job offers.

From a macro perspective, employees are paying much closer attention to benefits. Our job is to communicate and educate them on the full value of what the organization offers. Total compensation includes not just base salary, but medical and dental insurance, subscriptions paid for by the company. For benefits professionals, this means doing a better job of cost containment, ensuring programs operate efficiently and premiums don’t rise faster than salaries. That’s critical to providing meaningful value to employees while maintaining sustainable benefits programs. 

Q: Is there anything else you wanted to share? 

 A: Our first quarterly event is coming up on March 26. This will provide educational content eligible for three CEBS credits. The topics will cover PBMs and retirement programs, two very hot topics right now. Following the session, we’ll host a happy hour networking opportunity for our members. If you’re interested in joining the event, or learning more about the ISCEBS, you can contact us here: cebs@ifebp.org.

Erin Behrens is an associate editor at From Day One.

(Illustration by gvardgraph/iStock)