Industry
Furniture
Employees
102
Headquarters
New York, NY
HR Leader
Zach Ragland, Head of People
HR Challenge
Needing a Competitive Benefits Offering
for Remote Work
Results
Improved Benefits Experience, Hours Saved
About Feather
Furniture in Homes & Out of Landfills
Feather is a furniture rental company with a mission to change the way that people experience furniture in order to create a happier and healthier planet. With two goals in mind, Feather aims to create a better experience for their customers when it comes to accessibility and flexibility of owning furniture (or rather not owning it) and works to help keep furniture out of landfills by giving it an opportunity to have a second, third, or fourth life in a different home.
Meet Zach, Head of People
During a previous employment experience, Zach realized the effects of inefficiencies that were associated with a lack of proper record-keeping and organizational management. And later after entering the start-up world found that start-ups were often missing sophisticated human management at the forefront of how they operate. On a mission, Zach was set out to ensure that the employee experience would be prioritized at his next position which brought him to Feather.
At Feather, Zach oversees the HR department, internal communications, and the overall employee experience. That includes everything from recruiting and offboarding to everything in between. Joining Feather in the beginning stages allowed Zach a unique opportunity to set a foundation for how the employee experience would evolve and remain at the forefront of the company’s priorities.
HR Challenges
Zach Needed Better Benefits for Remote Working
When the company was founded, Feather was alone in the space of furniture rentals and now they’re starting to see bigger companies react to the idea of rentals in their own ways. Furniture rentals are gradually becoming a mainstream idea and Feather has had a major impact on that growing awareness.
Benefits for Remote Working
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Feather’s employee experience faced major setbacks. Being displaced and isolated left the team feeling stressed and disengaged. Zach’s team was unable to keep a pulse on the company culture. The perks and benefits previously offered in person were no longer relevant.
An HRIS Fit for Feather
With a rapidly growing team, Zach needed to come up with a more mature HR management system and evaluate a new health benefits program to ensure employees were receiving the benefits they desired without breaking the bank.
Support for Employees
Feather saw success very early on and as the team began to grow at a rapid rate, Zach and his team struggled with managing that growth in a way that supported their employees.
“A typical insurance broker does the bare minimum and lets you figure the rest out. Sometimes I feel like I’m in it on my own figuring out solutions for all of the various problems that happen in the workplace.”
Bennie’s Job Duties
Creating a New Health Benefits Program
“They knew answers to questions I didn’t even know to ask.”
Implementing a New HR Management System
“They were on all the calls with me, for every single one of those deep‑dives into the technical details.”
Employee Support
“They were on all the calls with me, for every single one of those deep‑dives into the technical details.”
Creating a New Health Benefits Program
“They knew answers to questions I didn’t even know to ask.”
Rounding Out Feather’s Benefits Offerings:
“Before Bennie, we were offering health, dental, vision, and life insurance. We expanded that to offer an additional life insurance option as well as short‑term and long‑term disability options. Creating a more robust insurance package for people to utilize is just one of the ways we enhanced our benefits through Bennie.”
With Bennie’s 360 view of your benefits with strategic, quarterly touchpoints, Zach and the Bennie team were able to expand Feather’s benefit offerings.
“They knew answers to questions I didn’t even know to ask. They provided me with side‑by‑side comparisons of different plans. For someone that’s not the expert, I could easily see the benefits of one plan versus the other.”
Implementing a New HR Management System
“They were on all the calls with me, for every single one of those deep‑dives into the technical details.”
Choosing & Implementing a Management System:
Bennie helped Zach choose and implement a new HRIS system from start to finish. From researching various options, arranging introduction calls, to evaluating all the options, Zach was able to select the perfect match.
“They were on all the calls with me, for every single one of those deep‑dives into the technical details, and helped me suss out what I needed, why I needed it, and which partner fits the bill.”
Employee Support
“They were on all the calls with me, for every single one of those deep‑dives into the technical details.”
Supporting Feather’s Employees:
Bennie’s mobile app provides Feather employees with all insurance information at their fingertips. They’re able to ask a team of experts any benefits-related question, receive assistance locating a healthcare provider, and access a voluntary marketplace for discounted rates on pet insurance, family planning, student loan repayments, and more.
“That is something I could never do for our 102 employees – we just grew too big for me to provide that individual support. I was looking for a partner that could be that expert for me and be a resource for my employees.”
Time Saved, Time Back, and an Exceptional Employee Experience
Improved Benefits, Improved Employee Experience
Before working with Bennie, Zach was unable to provide the individual support to his employees he knew they deserved. He wanted to ensure he was offering the best employee experience possible and also attract new talent to be excited for what they were offering.
“Employees had to fend for themselves. If they have a question about their own coverage about a particular procedure it wasn’t something I was able to provide them. Bennie is unique to me because of how they can support employees in addition to being the insurance broker between the company and the insurance company."
Not only was Bennie able to help Zach create a new health insurance plan and choose a new HRIS system, but Bennie’s marketplace also provided additional perks and benefits to supplement those affected by COVID-19. With Bennie’s expansive support, Zach was able to focus on revamping Feather’s company culture.
“I’m not an expert in American health insurance. The support from Bennie has been phenomenal. Our employees are getting expert advice and help so that they can make the best decisions for their health and life. This is a resource that simply didn’t exist at Feather before Bennie, and not only has it improved the employee experience, but it’s saved me hours of time per week in answering questions and managing administrative requirements related to health insurance offerings.”