Press & Interviews

Why employee benefits benchmarking drives change
By North Bay Business Journal columnists Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil
Ever ponder what your competitors are doing to attract and retain employees? How your company benefits compare alongside others of similar size or demographics? Benefits benchmarking is an in-depth analysis of how your employee benefits offerings compare to those of others in your industry, similar industries, geographic region.

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Photo credit: Garagestock / Shutterstock

Benefit packages: Think outside the box
From Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil, North Bay Business Journal Columnists
Traditional benefits have become expected. Taking your benefits program “outside the box” to develop a program tailor-made to employees’ unique situation is what leading organizations do to catapult themselves above competitors in the talent war. It’s common for an employer to offer a traditional employee benefits package. That’s just not enough anymore.

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Photo credit: One Photo / Shutterstock

Strategic business growth: You may be happy at holiday time, but are your employees?
From Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil, North Bay Business Journal Columnists
December is traditionally a time of reflection for us all. Leaders in the business world know that strategic reflection is a valuable tool to up-level a company. But one piece often overlooked when assessing productivity and success is the focus on employee happiness. We know even the very notion of thinking — are our employees happy — is traditionally not examined in the business world. It should be.

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Photo credit: Maslowski Marcin / Shutterstock

Transparency and Health Care Consumerism
by Jordan Shields

Ask anyone who has suffered a serious injury or illness, or is living with a chronic condition necessitating continual and considerable expense, how they feel about the state of health care in the U.S. The inner workings of our health-care delivery system remain a mystery. Transparency is helpful, but like all such legislation, it spawns additional questions. For example, what does the terminology mean? Does this include any contract or cash discounts? Are there alternative therapies or procedures available, and what do they cost?

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Corporate Culture
Interview with Andrew McNeil & Rosario Avila

“Every company has one, whether [it’s] good or bad,” says Andrew McNeil, principal and senior benefits advisor at Arrow Benefits Group in Petaluma, which provides benefit programs for more than 1,400 employer clients in California. “If you have two people, you have a culture. How you live and work in it defines it.

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The Art of Attracting and Retaining Employees
by Andrew McNeil and Rosario Avila

As the workforce gets younger and demographics change, companies across all industries are looking for new ways to attract and retain their labor force. In Napa and Sonoma counties, wineries and other businesses are currently competing with the cannabis and construction industries for local workers. Along with competitive wages, many companies now offer new, more meaningful benefits to their employees beyond the traditional, run-of-the-mill medical plans and benefits package.

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Employee Benefit News exclusive Video interview with Andrew McNeil and Rosario Avila: How technology can make or break client relationships.

“Technology is the most vital issue for benefits brokers today…a lot of people that we see are not embracing technology when clients want it.” In this Lightning Round video, McNeil and Avila — Employee Benefit Adviser’s 2019 Advisers of the Year — also discuss bilingual employee engagement and how they get over differences as business partners.

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North Bay Community Philanthropy Awards 2020

We’re proud to announce – Mariah Shields and Arrow Benefits Group were just awarded The Business Journal 2020 North Bay Community Philanthropy Award. As an outstanding example of corporate giving and community involvement in Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Napa, Mendocino, and Lake counties.

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How to Deal with Open Enrollment During COVID-19
by A. McNeil and R. Avila

There is no question the pandemic has changed the way we work, interact, and communicate with our colleagues. Some industries no longer operate in the rigid structure once thought to be “the only” way to do business.

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Read latest interview with award-winning Arrow advisors Andrew McNeil and Rosario Avila.
Thinking About Diversity
by Michael Barnes

As the current social justice movement and push for progressive policies reshape how society operates, the significance of diversity in the workplace assumes new meaning. Recruiting employees with diversity in mind is a process that is more than simply “checking a box.” It’s a decision informed by a unique cross-section of perspectives, practices and personalities sought by employers and employees alike.

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