The Benefits Call That Kept Me Up at Night, with Michael Bodziner, Co-CHRO at Gensler

Summary On this episode of Build Your Benefits, Aditi sits down with Michael Bodziner, Co-CHRO at Gensler, to explore what benefits leadership looks like when empathy drives the decision-making process. Michael shares how Gensler navigated one of the most debated benefits decisions of recent years — offering GLP-1s for weight loss — and what it took to get a cost-conscious executive committee to say yes. He also opens up about the tension between empathy and scale, and why some benefits decisions that feel like the right thing to do have to wait. In his closing remarks, he offers a simple but powerful framework for career success that cuts against the grain of today's hustle culture.Chapters 00:00 Michael's 40-year journey from summer intern to Co-CHRO at Gensler 03:30 The co-leadership model: how two CHROs split the role without a rulebook 06:00 The GLP-1 decision: cost, culture, and a committee 10:00 What data couldn't tell them — and why gut instinct filled the gap 13:00 Seeing the transformation: when results show up in the room 16:00 Benefits communication: why you can't overcommunicate 19:00 Life-cycle based outreach and what AI could unlock next 21:30 What keeps a CHRO up at night: the one employee with a story you can't ignore 24:00 What Michael wishes more people understood about benefits work 26:30 Slow and steady: career advice from someone who's been at the same firm for 40 yearsTakeawaysOffering GLP-1s for weight loss wasn't just a cost decision — it was a values decision, and framing it that way is what got it approved.When data doesn't exist yet, common sense, empathy, and gut instinct are legitimate decision-making tools for a benefits leader.The hardest part of the job isn't saying yes — it's saying "not this year" to a benefit that matters deeply to a real person with a real story.Overcommunicating benefits isn't spam — people only pay attention to what feels relevant to their current life stage.Relationship-building isn't soft skills advice — it is the career strategy, especially in a people-first culture.Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bodziner-4236352/ Website: https://www.gensler.com/Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Multiply Mortgage, helping employees unlock the value of homeownership. Learn more at http://www.multiplymortgage.com