The BeneLynk Advocate: We Lead with Help

Our story began years ago with a team fiercely dedicated to a common mission: to help people facing barriers to living their healthiest lives. BeneLynk has achieved remarkable success partnering with health plans to provide them with the information they need, and members with the advocacy they deserve. As BeneLynk continues to provide member advocacy and execute our central vision to understand social determinants of health barriers while surfacing solutions, we have achieved significant company growth. BeneLynk has continued to add new clients and has thus increased our staffing, growing by 58% since last year alone. Due to our growth, we also continue to promote from within and create new positions to best serve our clients and their members. Not only does BeneLynk provide ample opportunity for new hires, but we provide a diverse environment where we encourage our employees to learn and grow with us and climb the career ladder. BeneLynk believes that doing good for our clients requires doing well for our team. Internally promoting and investing in our employees’ careers is an important part of how we show our teammates that we see them and acknowledge the impact they are making in the lives of those we seek to help.

Here is a story by one of our amazing teammates, who has had the opportunity to grow with BeneLynk and continues to embody BeneLynk values - doing the best he can for our clients and organization.

About Me

My name is Pablo Carrion. I am 30 years old, married, and from Ecuador. I’ve been in the customer service industry for over 10 years and have done it all – from retail to the food service industry. I was also a personal trainer for some time, which is where I first heard about BeneLynk.

I am bilingual, which has definitely been helpful in my career journey here at BeneLynk. One of the things that makes BeneLynk unique is that we do our best to meet our members where they are – all walks of life, different cultures, military status, etc., so it’s important to have teammates that are diverse and can relate to, and form a connection with, our members, no matter where their life has taken them.

What I Do

I had been a personal trainer for some time but started to feel burnt out. It was a tough lifestyle, and I had no work-life balance. One day a gym member approached me and told me about BeneLynk. She told me that it was an excellent place to work, and that the company was focused on the growth and success of their employees. So, I decided to make a career change. It was a difficult jump, but I was ready for something different. Since working here, I have received three promotions. One of BeneLynk’s core values is “recognition", and they have held true to their values. This company has recognized me for my performance and dedication, which has led to several advancements in my career. My first promotion occurred when I was moved from an entry-level advocate to level 2. Eventually, the opportunity for team lead arose, which I did for nearly a year and a half. When the job posting for the supervisor position became available, I knew I was right for the job. Now, I oversee about 35 people regularly, but occasionally oversee more when I participate in special projects and onboarding.

My Daily Routine

BeneLynk offers many remote work opportunities, and I currently come into the office for one week every seven weeks. I wouldn’t say I have a typical workday, because my day is dependent on my chat and my email. The first thing I do when I start for the day is look for needs. BeneLynk allows me to have a flexible schedule to accommodate my family, consequently my day starts a little bit later than some of my team. We are a team in every sense of the word, so I start by helping my advocates out with what they need. After catching up on emails, I dedicate a majority of my time to coaching and developing. It all starts with auditing – just making sure we’re listening and paying attention to what’s being said by the member. It’s especially important that I set reasonable expectations for myself and my team, and that we aim to exceed our expectations and goals. Overall, our team’s success is based on attitude, morale, and willingness.

My Favorite Thing about Working at BeneLynk

There is no better feeling than knowing you’ve successfully helped a member connect to a needed benefit. It’s amazing to know that you’ve potentially changed someone’s life for the better, which is why my favorite part of my job is helping and coaching advocates. By coaching my team for success and helping them do their job to the best of their ability, I know that I’m making a difference in the lives of our country’s most vulnerable Medicare and Medicaid members. Our advocates are in a unique position to help members by addressing social determinants of health barriers – allowing our members to live happier, healthier lives.

Member Success Story

One of my favorite success stories occurred while I was a team lead. An advocate reached out to me, because she was worried about a member who told her she was not feeling well. The advocate said that the member was alone, scared, and not coherent. She remained on the phone with the member, while I contacted emergency services. While the advocate was on the phone, she was able to encourage the member to speak with her and calm down. By the time emergency services arrived, the member was able to tell the advocate that she had been suffering from a severe panic attack. She was so thankful that the advocate had stayed on the line, making her feel less afraid and lonely. It was an amazing experience for everyone involved.

The Best Way to Help Our Members

There are a lot of people that get spam calls all day and are really uncomfortable talking to people on the phone. It is important to acknowledge the members’ concerns and discover why they are feeling that way. Our advocates lead with help by addressing the most pressing concerns of the member first. By addressing the problem, letting them know you understand, and telling them that you’re listening, we build trust and deeper human connections. Many of our members have a lot to say and feel like they are not being heard, so it is important to be patient and listen. Once members realize how much they can benefit from our findhelp.org network of over 300,000 local, state, and federal government programs, they often will call back for more assistance. It is essential that we can establish that connection and trust, so that members come back to us and feel comfortable.

My Future at BeneLynk

Professionally, I would love to continue to grow with this company. BeneLynk has been amazing to me, and I enjoy doing what I do. I would like to eventually break into a senior management role. Operations on a larger scale has always interested me and is really where I want to be professionally. Since I started at BeneLynk, it’s been an amazing journey of helping people. As we say at BeneLynk, “Health is more than healthcare,” and it feels great knowing that I’m furthering my career by doing the right thing.