Commute as a Benefit: Lessons from Delta Dental of Washington
Commute as a benefit is a priority human resource strategy for Delta Dental of Washington (DDWA). When DDWA decided to move their headquarters just five miles from North Seattle to the South Lake Union neighborhood in downtown Seattle, they surveyed employees and found that the biggest concern during relocation was the commute. As such, DDWA executed a change management process that turned the employee commute from an obstacle to a benefit. DDWA set a goal to retain all employees during the relocation – a goal which they met. By providing commute as a benefit as an HR strategy, DDWA was able to retain all of their employees and also attract new talent. Their employees are happier, healthier, and more productive as a result of their commute benefits. Commute benefits don’t just impact the HR bottom line, but also save money through better parking management and utilization. In conjunction with their relocation, the HR team invested in a telecommuting program which involved technology investments, workplace culture shifts, and manager education. Telecommuting is now their most common commute at 25%. Employees are happier with the flexibility and the HR team packages this as a benefit when hiring new employees. This presentation will explain how DDWA leads with empathy and puts the employee experience at the forefront of their strategy. You will learn about their commute benefits program – powered by the Luum platform – and how it has positively impacted their workplace culture, HR strategy, and bottom line.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how commute benefits play a key role in attracting and retaining employees.
- Review the role of employee commute benefits and identify other key investments to successfully influence employee selection of alternative commute modes.
- Understand available technologies to support innovative commute benefits administration and parking management.
- Learn best practice for commute benefits policy and innovation.
Karen Aliabadi
Karen Aliabadi is the Chief Human Resources Strategist at Delta Dental of Washington. As an expert in organizational strategy, Karen leads collaborative enterprise initiatives to shape the workforce to meet business priorities.
Karen is a Human Resources executive who is passionate about providing companies with the perfect balance of human capital expertise and business acumen. She joined Delta Dental in 2015 after working in Human Resources for many industry-respected companies, including Fisher Communications and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. With over 20 years of industry experience and strategic insight, she has a solid understanding of people dynamics and builds strong talent management capabilities. Directly prior to starting at DDWA, Karen was the President and owner of the consulting firm, Passio, where she helped clients make sustainable performance improvements through culture.
Karen is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources from the HR Certification Institute. Karen holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Training and Development and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Education from Southern Illinois University. She also completed the Master of Sustainable Business Practices program at Green Mountain College, attaining her MBA while serving as the Vice President of Corporate HR at Fisher Communications.