Guild's Dominique Schroeder is asking all the right questions about benefits

For benefits program manager Dominique Schroeder, being a human resources leader at Guild, an education platform, means asking the right questions in order to meet the needs of all employees. In Schroeder's case, she received plenty of answers.

Moving into a new leadership position last fall, Schroeder launched a 90-question employee benefits survey that would help lay out a plan for 2023 and beyond — a first at Guild, which has nearly 1,500 employees. The survey not only looked into which benefits were and would be most impactful, but helped leaders understand ways in which their culture needed attention as well, she says. 

"One of the biggest takeaways is the value of employee listening," Schroeder says. "Employees are happy to share what they need verbally, but having an option via anonymous survey can give a lot more perspective into what the employee is looking for."

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Schroeder designed survey questions to give leaders an understanding of the day-to-day needs of Guild's employees. Feedback on their demographics, household size and financial stresses were just some of the ways employees shared more about themselves. 

"Benefits are often seen as health and welfare, but they can be so much more," she says. "It can be a conversation with your manager and providing them with resources on how they can help you as a parent navigate the day-to-day of working. I appreciate the opportunity for employees to share a lot and then also get general feedback: Are we doing things right? Do we have the right resources in place?"

By digging deeper into the makeup of the employee population and identifying more personal needs, the company was able to gain a better understanding of its workforce's cultures, family dynamics and challenges. From this, new policies have already been put in place to address the feedback they received, Schroeder says. 

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"For our AAPI group specifically, we're implementing float holidays because they said the current holiday calendar was not providing the opportunity to celebrate with their families," she says. "Also, more care for our trans community: How can we provide guidance not only for those who are transitioning, but also to managers who are supporting somebody?"

Schroeder used the survey's success to launch a series of listening tours with Guild's employee resources groups, helping to further emphasize a commitment to listening and responding to the needs of marginalized groups within the company. Even if employees couldn't always specify what would help, it was beneficial to know someone would be listening. 

"We went in with our eyes wide open, saying, 'Let us know everything,'" she says. "It was also, 'I'm not really sure what I need, but here are some of the challenges I'm having.' Some of it wasn't things our team could manage, but we were able to bring in the right people to continue the conversations."

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Establishing a people-first culture creates an understanding between the business and employees, and this trust makes people more likely to stay with the company long-term and attract the best talent moving forward, Schroeder says. Now in her sixth year as a benefits professional, her philosophy continues to evolve, and she continues to ask questions.

"As I've grown in my own role, I understand that for the business to be successful, we have to make sure we're providing sustainable programs," she says. "I'm the first to say, I need your feedback, I need your honest thoughts, and I need you to understand some of the things we're going through.' There is value to listening, taking action and doing what it is people are seeking."