For more than 20 years, Kevin Jeffrey, FCHRP has set the pace and defined the scope of HR. He has long served as both a catalyst of change and a bellwether of better people practices. Kevin Jeffrey has worked with businesses large and small in every business sector, bringing his background of commerce and people practices to bear.

How long have you been involved with BC HRMA?
Since about 1993. It’s the classic story of volunteerism – I was asked to join the education committee at the time. Someone thought of me and that’s how I came to be there. I ended up running the portfolio and then was invited to join the board. Back then board members had portfolio responsibilities.

I became secretary treasurer and eventually president in 1999 – 2000.  In the late 1990s the organization was in trouble: losing money, members, identity crisis, all sorts of things. My first board meeting was a retreat and we debated the BC HRMA obituary because we had died.  It was a bit of a challenge back then.

Needless to say I came at it all with a different set of eyes. My mandate was to turn things around. We began a change from a portfolio to a governance model and became very good at execution. After 2-3 years in the red, we made it into the black and went looking for the leadership we have today.

I returned to the board for a couple of terms in mid 2000’s, and have remained involved with association since.

What attracted you to the world of benefits and what distinguishes Pointbreak?
Pointbreak was created in 1992 as Rim Consulting, and in 2004 I joined as a Partner and we re-branded as Pointbreak Consulting Group.

What I like about my job the most is that I need to think strategically (how does benefits fit into the overall compensation plan, the workforce plan and the overall organization strategy) for our clients, and then we need to execute the plan and manage all the technical details to ensure the success of the program.

Really, what I like about benefits is that it is all encompassing. Some think it is all technical, but it is the variety that is phenomenal.

You need good solid math skills, (I started my career as an underwriter at a major insurance company) problem solving skills, analytical skills, listening skills, communication skills and negotiating skills.  You need to understand tax, legislation, and keep on top of many insurance company products and pricing models. And then you need to be able to translate all of this into plain language that clients can understand, put to use and feel confidence that they can make active decisions.

Benefits are very interesting in that they are a significant element of total compensation. There is a constant push and pull —the employer would like to provide as much as possible, but there are significant short-term and long term cost implications.

And as for what distinguishes Pointbreak?
I think that there are two things that distinguish us.

First we speak two languages —human resources and finance—and we help our clients translate between the two.  My degree is actually in finance so being able to bridge those worlds and speak to the balance sheet—helping finance understand why, as per the Dilbert cartoon, people do rank above carbon paper.

The second is our ability to truly listen to our clients, and then combine innovation and technical expertise to craft benefit programs that are valued by employees and are financially sustainable for the organization.

I think the BC HRMA Employee Benefits Plan is both a good example and a result of those strengths. We’re good at innovating and have the technical backing to do what we need.

That said, not every client is about breaking a mould. As an organization we pride ourselves in listening to clients, understanding them. Sometimes they need plain vanilla solutions—not everyone wants to be leading edge.  There is a “right” solution for ever organization;  but it is uniquely their solution, is a duplication of someone else’s solution.

Benefits are very expensive and inflation is making them more expensive, so the cost of the benefits has to be sustainable. We always have our eye on what is sustainable is from the financial perspective, while ensuring the plan is delivering value to the organization.

What inspired you to create the BC HRMA Employee Benefits Plan offering?
A couple of things. The first is value. I had always heard, particularly when I was on the board, about the question of membership value. We were always thinking of how to provide more for our members. I think the association has done a good job and the HR Metrics Service is a great way of delivering something tangible.

We identified three key drivers: 1) our members have responsibilities for benefits and BC HRMA did not have a solution in the benefits space; 2) as an association, we have always had independent consultants asking after benefits plans; and 3) many members are looking for discount programs through BC HRMA.

These things had been on my mind for some time, and with the advent of new insurance programs and underwriting methods, the opportunity presented itself and led to the BC HRMA Employee Benefits Plan.

We began to think about how we could deliver a benefit platform to members of the BC HRMA that provided flexible plan designs and levered bulk buying powers to our membership.

Describe the primary attraction of the plan.
First let me explain what the BC HRMA Employee Benefits Plan is.  It is an employee benefits plan that is available to our members’ companies and organizations.  By virtue of their BC HRMA membership a member in good standing can lever the power of BC HRMA to improve the benefit plan they provide to their employees.

What we have created is a platform whereby our members and their organizations can benefit from the strength and brand of BC HRMA to improve their organization’s employee benefits plan.

For more information on the BC HRMA Employee Benefits Plan, please visit www.bchrma.org