Umbra Space, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, develops advanced space systems for Earth monitoring. This aids clients in making data-driven decisions on land use and combating climate change. Behind this technology is a team of world-class engineers, led by space and business veterans from across the defense and space manufacturing industry — all supported by a lean Human Resources team of just two. 

Umbra aims to offer employee benefits that match its exceptional team and products, focusing on a modern, tech-driven approach and support for employees. Yet a move to digital wasn’t on the horizon with its previous broker, and Umbra’s HR team felt fatigued by the amount of time they spent on benefits administration.

A need for better brokerage support

Senior HR Generalist Jordan Walsh and her team were overwhelmed managing the volume of employee questions around plans and coverage. They passed on these and other administrative questions to their broker, via email, but their broker was largely unresponsive. 

“We were constantly having to follow up, often multiple times, and our broker wouldn’t even answer us,” Jordan explained. “Brokers are there to help us, but they weren’t supporting us like they said they would.” When they did finally get a response, it might only be to say that their broker would get back to them. 

This led Walsh to approach Umbra’s executive team with a business case for a new brokerage. “We wanted someone to partner with us to help employees with their questions. We needed someone who could be a bridge between our team, employees, and the carriers,” Walsh said. Umbra’s executive team was open to change but also cognizant of how much was at stake. It was important to ensure that no one’s coverage would be dramatically impacted.

Partnering with Nava on new plans and carriers 

After speaking to a few brokers, Walsh found that only Nava offered what they were looking for. “It was really attractive that Nava had an app for our employees, and that they can use it to look at in-network providers,” she said. 

Nava began by performing a billing audit, addressing another pain point with their previous broker. “Having Nava as a business partner do the auditing gave us time back and helped ensure all our data was correct,” Walsh said. Then, after working with their Nava partners, Umbra made a bold decision to change its plan strategy. Shortly before open enrollment, the company moved from 6 small group plans to 3 large group plans, with all new carriers.

“It was a huge project, but we felt confident we made the right choice,” Walsh said. This was in large part because their Nava partners ensured a smooth transition. The team opened up an email channel in advance for employees to ask specific questions about coverage needs, such as whether their current providers would remain in-network. This also gave employees and Umbra leadership an extra level of reassurance about the changes.

High employee engagement, low HR effort 

The new plans launched with open enrollment and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. Employees were also eager to manage their benefits using the Nava app. “Almost 100% of our employees have downloaded the app!” Walsh said. “Having the Nava advocates and the chat feature has been a big help. Our employees like that they can see where they are with their deductible and what’s covered, all from their phones. It makes such a big difference.”

With Nava handling employee questions, Walsh has reclaimed time to focus on HR projects that extend beyond benefits administration. “We hardly ever get asked benefits questions now,” Walsh shared.

The difference in experience is marked. “We felt like we needed a benefits specialist but now that we have Nava, we can hire someone who can work across projects. We have so much faith and trust in how Nava manages our benefits.”

“We did end up saving money, but that wasn’t the point,” she continued. “We wanted to have the best for our employees and this was the best.”

Renewed faith in renewals

Going forward, Walsh has confidence that next year will be easy. “You have the best interest of the business in mind,” Walsh said. “Our previous broker would have said, ‘We know best,’ and didn’t want to hear what we had to say. We didn’t know what we were missing out on until we switched to Nava. We’re excited for open enrollment this year and feel more prepared than ever.”

It was also important to Walsh that she felt heard.

“We’re a small company, and our previous broker just didn’t give us the attention we needed and wanted. But I’ve never felt that way with Nava. No matter how big or small a company is, Nava will always take care of you.”