Healthcare Benefits for Construction Companies – How to Attract & Retain Top Talent with Strategic Health Plans
Tue Jan 27 2026
Welcome to Episode 101 of I'm The Gaffer
Gavin Coyle talks healthcare strategy & employee benefits with Donovan Pyle – Founder & CEO of Health Compass Consulting, author of "Fixing Healthcare," and the expert who's helping construction companies save millions while delivering better care to their teams.
If you're a construction owner wondering "How do I keep good employees?" or "Why is healthcare so expensive?" – this episode is your blueprint.
We cover:
– Why healthcare plans are your secret weapon for attracting and retaining talent in competitive labor markets
– The rigged system: how brokers misalign incentives and make MORE when your costs go up
– Donovan's journey from the music industry to healthcare consulting
– The $4,000 per employee you're wasting on healthcare (25% of total spend is pure waste)
– Pre-tax benefits advantages: why benefits beat salary increases dollar-for-dollar
– Employee Benefits Voice: the survey tool that reveals what your team actually values
– Pet insurance to concierge doctors: surprising benefits employees want
– Building fiduciary committees for smarter healthcare governance
– The shocking connection between employee turnover and workplace safety incidents
– How to budget for benefits: $500-$3,000/month per employee explained
– Free resources to optimize your healthcare plan and eliminate waste
Sponsored by Hustro.com – the simplest construction management software.
Hustro.com – 75% less time on inspections & reports
Start and claim 2 months for free→ https://hustro.com/gavin
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Intro + Hustro sponsor
00:26 “The Game Is Rigged” — why healthcare lacks transparency
01:02 Welcome to the show + guest intro: Donovan Pyle
02:20 Donovan’s journey: music → insurance → healthcare consulting
04:40 Why healthcare plans matter in construction businesses
05:25 Using benefits to attract & retain talent post-COVID
06:20 The real cost of employee turnover
07:10 Why benefits can outperform salary (tax advantage explained)
08:21 Understanding what employees actually value
10:18 Surprising benefits employees care about (pet insurance)
11:35 Designing flexible benefits for diverse teams
13:08 Global perspective: healthcare taxation & policy differences
15:11 Why traditional brokers are misaligned
16:20 Unbiased consulting model & fiduciary responsibility
18:40 Hustro sponsor message (construction productivity)
19:25 Healthcare transparency laws & disclosure requirements
21:06 Hidden waste in employer health plans
22:23 Role of HR, CFO & leadership in benefits...
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Welcome to Episode 101 of I'm The Gaffer Gavin Coyle talks healthcare strategy & employee benefits with Donovan Pyle – Founder & CEO of Health Compass Consulting, author of "Fixing Healthcare," and the expert who's helping construction companies save millions while delivering better care to their teams. If you're a construction owner wondering "How do I keep good employees?" or "Why is healthcare so expensive?" – this episode is your blueprint. We cover: – Why healthcare plans are your secret weapon for attracting and retaining talent in competitive labor markets – The rigged system: how brokers misalign incentives and make MORE when your costs go up – Donovan's journey from the music industry to healthcare consulting – The $4,000 per employee you're wasting on healthcare (25% of total spend is pure waste) – Pre-tax benefits advantages: why benefits beat salary increases dollar-for-dollar – Employee Benefits Voice: the survey tool that reveals what your team actually values – Pet insurance to concierge doctors: surprising benefits employees want – Building fiduciary committees for smarter healthcare governance – The shocking connection between employee turnover and workplace safety incidents – How to budget for benefits: $500-$3,000/month per employee explained – Free resources to optimize your healthcare plan and eliminate waste Sponsored by Hustro.com – the simplest construction management software. Hustro.com – 75% less time on inspections & reports Start and claim 2 months for free→ https://hustro.com/gavin Episode Highlights: 00:00 Intro + Hustro sponsor 00:26 “The Game Is Rigged” — why healthcare lacks transparency 01:02 Welcome to the show + guest intro: Donovan Pyle 02:20 Donovan’s journey: music → insurance → healthcare consulting 04:40 Why healthcare plans matter in construction businesses 05:25 Using benefits to attract & retain talent post-COVID 06:20 The real cost of employee turnover 07:10 Why benefits can outperform salary (tax advantage explained) 08:21 Understanding what employees actually value 10:18 Surprising benefits employees care about (pet insurance) 11:35 Designing flexible benefits for diverse teams 13:08 Global perspective: healthcare taxation & policy differences 15:11 Why traditional brokers are misaligned 16:20 Unbiased consulting model & fiduciary responsibility 18:40 Hustro sponsor message (construction productivity) 19:25 Healthcare transparency laws & disclosure requirements 21:06 Hidden waste in employer health plans 22:23 Role of HR, CFO & leadership in benefits...