How do you keep your benefits data management skills up to date?

1 Stay current on benefits trends and regulations

One of the first steps to keep your benefits data management skills up to date is to stay informed about the latest trends and regulations in the benefits industry. Benefits trends can affect the types, amounts, and costs of benefits that employees expect and demand, as well as the data that you need to collect and analyze. Benefits regulations can affect the data that you need to report and disclose, as well as the data security and privacy standards that you need to follow. You can stay current on benefits trends and regulations by subscribing to relevant newsletters, podcasts, blogs, and webinars, as well as joining professional associations and networks.

2 Learn new data sources and tools

Another way to keep your benefits data management skills up to date is to learn new data sources and tools that can help you improve your data quality, efficiency, and insights. Data sources can include internal systems, such as HRIS, payroll, and benefits platforms, as well as external sources, such as benchmarking surveys, industry reports, and government databases. Data tools can include software applications, such as Excel, Power BI, Tableau, and SQL, as well as cloud-based services, such as Google Sheets, AWS, and Azure. You can learn new data sources and tools by taking online courses, watching tutorials, reading manuals, and practicing with sample data sets.

4 Seek feedback and improvement

A fourth way to keep your benefits data management skills up to date is to seek feedback and improvement from your stakeholders, peers, and mentors. Feedback can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as areas for improvement and development. Improvement can help you enhance your data skills, knowledge, and performance, as well as address any gaps or challenges that you face. You can seek feedback and improvement by asking for reviews, suggestions, and recommendations from your managers, clients, and colleagues, as well as participating in mentoring, coaching, and training programs.

5 Share your data insights and learnings

A fifth way to keep your benefits data management skills up to date is to share your data insights and learnings with your audience, community, and industry. Data insights and learnings can help you demonstrate your value, expertise, and impact, as well as showcase your data projects, achievements, and innovations. Sharing your data insights and learnings can also help you exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices with other benefits data professionals, as well as learn from their feedback, perspectives, and challenges. You can share your data insights and learnings by creating reports, presentations, dashboards, and stories, as well as publishing articles, blogs, podcasts, and webinars.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?