Transforming benefits – The employee experience

Employers recognize that there is considerable room for improvement when it comes to the employees’ experience with benefits. In particular, they fall short in two key areas: communication and the use of digital tools and technology. Only three in 10 employers globally (31%) indicate they use enhanced communication, including customization and the latest communication techniques (e.g., apps, social media), while just 26% report they have enhanced support in the form of navigator tools and modelers.

Addressing these areas will enable employers to provide personalized benefit information and help employees make informed decisions. While most employers today are at early stages of digital adoption, roughly three-quarters (74%) expect to have an enhanced digital strategy across their benefit programs in the next two years (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Stages of digital strategy adoption

Setting priorities

Over half of employers globally (53%) are prioritizing improving their employees’ understanding of the cost and value of benefit programs, a figure that rises to 65% in North America where rising costs are a key concern for employers (Figure 2). In addition, half of employers globally are making it a priority to improve the recognition of benefits, internally and externally. This is a higher priority for employers in EMEA and Latin America than for those in North America and Asia Pacific.

Taking action

Employers are looking to take action in several critical areas to improve the employee experience.

Digital tools and technology

Employers overall are planning or considering increasing their use of a range of tools, including digital hubs, navigator tools and mobile apps (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Digital tools and technology employers are planning or considering adopting over the next two years

Fifty percent of employers in Asia Pacific are looking to implement digital hubs (Figure 4). Close to half of employers (47%) in Latin America are planning or considering mobile apps. The lower percentages in North America are attributed to the fact that many employers in this region have already taken action to adopt some of these tools, including mobile apps (52%) and digital hubs (47%).

Additionally, employers are taking steps to use technology to address health and wellbeing.

Communication

To improve their benefit communication, 42% of employers globally are looking to personalize communications to specific segments of the workforce (Figure 5). Employers in North America are more likely to report planning or considering such action.

In addition to personalization, approximately four in 10 employers globally are looking to improve their communications through educational (40%) and promotional (42%) campaigns.

42% of employers are looking to personalize communications to specific segments of the workforce. 

Support

Nearly half of employers globally (45%) are planning or considering manager training to identify and assist employees with their wellbeing. Four in 10 are looking to use digital tools and technology to help employees be productive and feel connected.

Next section: Transforming benefits – Benefit financing