Benefits technology for brokers
Last updated December 17, 2025
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Benefits brokers have long been the bridge between employers and the complex world of workplace benefits, helping organizations design plans that attract talent, manage costs, and stay compliant. But as technology continues to reshape the benefits landscape, that bridge is being tested.
Across the industry, tech-first firms and direct-to-employer platforms are expanding rapidly, offering bundled solutions that promise automation, integration, and simplicity. These emerging competitors have changed employer expectations: increasingly, employers expect their brokers to understand how benefits fit into the technology systems that power HR and payroll.
Brokers face new challenges as technology transforms the benefits marketplace, but this is also an opportunity for them to redefine their role. Those who embrace technology as part of their value proposition can strengthen client relationships, streamline administration, and compete more effectively against digital-first competitors.
However, brokers don’t have to navigate that transition alone. Guardian’s benefits technology knowledge — backed by integration experience, insights, and ongoing support — helps brokers position themselves as tech-enabled strategic alliances, equipped to meet clients’ evolving needs and deliver a benefits experience that works better for everyone.
The competitive pressure on brokers today
As HR technology becomes central to managing benefits, employers expect their brokers to keep pace. Many now turn to them for help navigating integrations, enrollment systems, and employee communication tools that make benefits easier to manage.
At the same time, tech-first competitors and direct-to-employer platforms are promoting convenience and automation as differentiators, challenging brokers to prove their value in new ways. The risk is clear: four out of ten employers would consider changing brokers if their current company couldn’t support their technology needs.1
Guiding employers through the technology that shapes efficiency and employee experience is now a central part of the job. To stay competitive, brokers will need to evolve from plan specialists to true strategic alliances.
How benefits technology shapes employer decisions
Employers are often under pressure to deliver seamless, digital-first benefits experiences that save time and reduce risk. Yet the average organization now uses 11 systems to manage HR data — making integration a constant challenge.2
This complexity is changing how employers choose their alliances. A recent study found that 74% of employers now prefer carriers that work well with existing benefits technology, up from 66% in 2021, and that 22% view broker guidance on benefits technology as one of the most important factors when selecting a company.3
Brokers who can discuss data exchange, automation, and decision-support tools demonstrate an understanding of the business beyond benefits alone. And due to the growing complexity of benefits administration and the demand for data-driven insights, employers are likely to increase their reliance on tech-savvy brokers in the coming years.
When brokers translate complex HR tech issues into clear, actionable strategies, they help clients avoid compliance risks, streamline administration, and deliver a better employee experience. And brokers can leverage Guardian’s benefits technology knowledge to help facilitate those outcomes.
Positioning strategies for brokers
To deliver that kind of value, brokers need a practical framework, one that connects business goals with a benefits strategy. By focusing on three key areas that matter most to employers today — strategic guidance, effective use of technology, and data-driven insight — brokers can demonstrate measurable impact.
Lead with the bigger picture
Instead of focusing on renewals or rate negotiations, frame discussions around outcomes: How can automation reduce HR workload? How can digital tools improve benefits utilization and employee satisfaction?
Employers are looking for brokers who can help them simplify administration and improve the employee experience. Guiding clients toward solutions that reduce HR workload and enhance engagement demonstrates the kind of relationship that organizations value most.
Use technology to strengthen your value
Fortunately, you don’t need to master every system. You just need to understand how technology supports better results.
Ask clients how their systems handle enrollment, payroll updates, and carrier connections, then identify where small changes could save time or reduce risk. Showing that kind of insight is one of the best broker strategies for positioning with HR leaders on benefits tech and establishing yourself as a problem-solver.
Leverage data and insight
Employers respond to evidence. Using Guardian’s research and benchmarking data, brokers can show how technology integration drives measurable business results, from stronger participation rates to improved retention. These insights provide proof points that reinforce a broker’s knowledge and strengthen trust during client discussions.
When brokers combine knowledge with Guardian benefits technology support, they redefine their role, becoming strategic alliances who help employers align technology, benefits, and people.
Guardian’s benefits technology know-how
Best practices for brokers using Guardian’s benefits technology support start with understanding how Guardian’s tools and teams help them serve clients more efficiently. Our technology knowledge gives brokers a competitive edge by providing the insight, infrastructure, and ongoing guidance to deliver stronger results for employers and employees alike.
Connected tools and support
Guardian’s platforms are built to help brokers and their clients work more efficiently from day one:
Guardian Access simplifies connectivity between HR, payroll, and benefits systems, enabling faster, more reliable data exchange.
Guardian Anytime gives brokers and employers real-time visibility into account information, plan performance, and service updates.
EMMA — Guardian’s Enrollment, Marketing, and Management Assistance platform — streamlines employee communications and enrollment experiences.
Guardian Insights provides research, analytics, and benchmarking that brokers can use to bring a data-driven perspective to client conversations.
Finally, the Guardian Broker homepage serves as a central hub for tools, forms, and training resources that keep brokers informed and supported.
Together, these resources support how brokers can use benefits technology to win clients by helping improve accuracy, saving time, and enhancing the overall experience.
Advantages for brokers working with Guardian
Guardian’s technology is backed by something even more valuable—relationships. Brokers work alongside Guardian teams who provide the training, tools, and guidance needed to support clients effectively.
Brokers benefit from:
Ongoing enablement and training that keep them current on new integrations, system capabilities, and best practices for digital implementation.
Co-marketing and sales support that helps brokers communicate their value to prospects and demonstrate a modern, technology-forward approach.
Seamless employer onboarding and training, supported by Guardian’s implementation specialists, who work directly with HR teams to help ensure smooth transitions and sustained satisfaction.
By drawing on Guardian’s benefits technology know-how, brokers can approach every client conversation with confidence, backed by proven tools, dedicated support, and a shared commitment to making benefits easier to manage and more meaningful to employees.
Relationships for the future
Technology is changing the process, not the purpose. Employers still rely on brokers for clarity, expertise, and trusted advice.
Guardian provides the insight and support brokers need to help them stay ahead. From data integration to enrollment communication and employee experience, Guardian works alongside brokers to deliver connected solutions and strategic guidance so that employers can build a better benefits experience.
Next steps
Learn how Guardian can help you build stronger client relationships and a more competitive business. Visit the Guardian Broker homepage or contact your Guardian sales representative to explore resources, training, and partnership opportunities for strengthening your client relationships.
Learn more about more opportunities for brokers from Guardian
Frequently asked questions about BenTech for brokers
A benefits broker helps employers design, select, and manage employee benefits programs, such as health, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage. They provide knowledge between employers and insurance carriers, helping organizations balance cost, compliance, and employee needs while ensuring smooth plan administration. Increasingly, they also play a key role in helping employers leverage benefits technology to streamline administration, improve the employee experience, and achieve better outcomes.
Brokers can remain competitive by blending traditional knowledge with the ability to navigate technology tools. Employers now expect relationships who can guide them through benefits platforms, data integrations, and employee-facing technology. Brokers who stay current on digital tools, compliance systems, and analytics — often through carrier relationships — can position themselves as strategic alliances rather than transactional intermediaries.
Benefits technology has become central to how employers evaluate broker relationships. Tools that streamline enrollment, connect HR and payroll systems, and improve employee communication can directly influence client satisfaction. Brokers who understand and leverage these systems can help clients operate more efficiently and create a better benefits experience for their employees.
Yes. Carrier relationships are one of the most effective ways for brokers to strengthen their technology capabilities. Working with a carrier that offers integration support, training, and digital resources allows brokers to guide clients confidently through complex HR systems. These relationships help brokers demonstrate value, build trust, and compete more effectively against tech-first firms.