In this month’s spotlight, interviewer Lacey Partipilo sits down with Chelsea to discuss her path to Xenium HR, how she discovered a passion for benefits, and the advice she’d give to anyone starting out in HR.
What is your role at Xenium HR, and how long have you worked here?
I’m a Benefit Specialist I, and I’ve been here for three years.
Tell us a little about your career progression. What led you to Xenium HR?
I went to Portland State and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Before coming to Xenium HR, I primarily worked as a preschool teacher and in aquatics, recreation, and gym memberships. I always loved making a positive impact on people—whether I was teaching a child to swim, helping patrons with memberships, or planning program curricula. Serving people was at the heart of everything I did.
That experience paved the way for my work at Xenium HR, where I feel like I truly get to focus on people. I started as a Benefits Representative I, moved up to Benefits Representative II, and in 2024, I became a Benefit Specialist I.
What’s your favorite part of working for an outsourced HR, benefits, and payroll firm?
Continuing my people-centered career while learning new things. Benefits can be complicated, so I love helping employees simplify and understand their options. Seeing them feel confident about their benefits is really rewarding.
How have you seen the field of benefits change over the years?
Xenium HR is constantly adding new technology and revising processes to improve the experience for our clients, their employees, and our internal teams. I’ve enjoyed being part of that evolution and watching how we adapt, especially with technology.
Do you see any challenges in our industry in the near or long term?
Keeping up with rapidly changing technology is a big one. You get a new solution in place, and then something better comes along. We have to meet that demand for ourselves and our clients, while also making sure the people aspect isn’t lost.
Can you tell us about a project or accomplishment you’re really proud of?
I had no benefits experience when I started, and I jumped right in. One area I’m especially proud of is COBRA. I collaborated across departments—Employee Support, Accounting, and Operations—to standardize our COBRA and state continuation processes. There’s still more to do, but it’s been great to see the positive impact on both our internal teams and the people who need COBRA.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in benefits?
People are unique, so things don’t always go as planned. While compliance and efficiency matter, being flexible and vulnerable is also important. HR is about serving people, and the best part of the job is dealing with all the variations in human experiences. Embrace the chaos—every moment is a teachable moment.
What’s your best memory working with a client or client employee?
My role has mostly involved working with employees rather than client contacts, so those experiences stand out. Once, a COBRA participant who was laid off came in to drop off paperwork and payment. We had spoken several times on the phone, so I took a moment to meet him in person. He was so grateful for my help during a challenging time in his life. Later, he let me know he’d found a new job and was canceling COBRA. It was wonderful to share in that good news.
How do you see your role evolving, and what are your goals?
Right now, I’m focused on growing in my Benefit Specialist role. I’ll eventually manage a larger book of business, which means more opportunities to build client relationships and deepen my benefits knowledge. Beyond that, Xenium HR offers many paths, and I’m excited to keep learning and see where things lead.
What do you wish more people knew about working in HR and benefits?
Even when we provide answers that aren’t what someone wants to hear, we’re guided by legal compliance, positive intentions, and what’s best for our clients and their employees. We wouldn’t give any direction if we didn’t believe it was truly the right guidance with the information we have at the time.