Tracking employee beneficiaries is essential for benefits compliance and risk mitigation. Beneficiaries designate who receives monetary benefits from retirement plans, life insurance, and similar programs upon an employee's death. Proper beneficiary management protects organizations while helping employees prepare their families for unexpected events. As an HR Business Partner, I am often working with clients to ensure their benefits and 401(k) administration is both in compliance and following HR best practices. One key aspect of benefits and 401(k) administration is tracking your employee beneficiaries. Ensuring that your employees have designated and up-to-date beneficiary information is both a way to mitigate risk for your organization and help your employees be prepared to protect their plans and help their families in the event of an unexpected tragedy. Below are five common questions that I hear from clients and employees about beneficiaries:

Employee expectations around mental health benefits have shifted from "should we offer them?" to "how do we do this well?" Employers that move beyond compliance to provide accessible, stigma-free mental health support gain a measurable edge in retention and engagement. This article outlines five actionable steps to transform mental health programs into true talent retention tools — from assessing current offerings and removing access barriers to empowering managers and integrating wellbeing into your employee value proposition.

Most mid-market employers will hold 2026 salary increase budgets near 3.5% while health benefit costs are projected to rise about 6.5%. Stay competitive by reallocating toward market and equity fixes, rewarding performance and critical skills, keeping a mid-year reserve, refreshing ranges, and clearly communicating total rewards.

Mid-market employers face rising complexity in leave administration as laws evolve, and employee expectations grow. New data from NFP’s 2026 U.S. Leave Management Report highlights five trends: sick leave harmonization, uneven PTO usage, redesign of admin models, parental-leave equity, and expanded holiday calendars.

Filling specialized positions requires strategic recruitment approaches beyond traditional job postings. Key strategies include building a strong employer brand, leveraging employee referral programs, engaging with professional associations, implementing DEI initiatives, and focusing on passive recruitment to connect with qualified candidates who aren't actively job searching.

Tech companies can enhance performance through strategic HR partnerships that provide expert guidance on talent acquisition, compensation strategy, compliance, and leadership development. An interim CHRO or HR consultant delivers specialized expertise to align workforce planning with business goals, optimize employer branding, and navigate complex compliance requirements while allowing tech leaders to focus on innovation.