How to use technology to drive engagement with benefits and wellbeing programmes
What’s more, technology is helping to equip employees with the digital tools they need to take greater control of their workplace benefits, their health and their wellbeing.
Employers must box smart, however. Technology will not always provide the golden key. Make the wrong choices – choose the wrong solution, fail to adequately deploy it or promote it – and employee engagement can be comprised, diminishing the value of the business investment.
Effective communication is paramount. In fact, ensuring that communication strategies deliver effective levels of employee engagement has been found to be one of the biggest challenges facing HR departments over the next few years.
The our Benefits Trends Survey 2019 revealed that four in five businesses are now looking to enhance the communication of benefits to employees. Only by doing so can the value-on-investment (VOI) of their benefits programmes be meaningfully optimised.
The fall and rise of benefits platforms
While the design and composition of benefits packages holds the key to employee satisfaction, the choice of benefits platform, which helps employees access them, can be vital in helping boost engagement.
The right platform can enable a workforce to better understand and maximise the value of their provision.
Today’s employee is demanding the same consumer-grade shopping experience they enjoy in their online retail environment. Consequently, we have seen the emergence of ‘anytime benefits’, with a focus on personalisation and freedom of choice. If an employee wants to opt in for a gym membership, for example, they can do so whenever they choose, without having to wait for a restrictive annual ‘open enrolment’ window.
The way in which platforms present and communicate benefits to employees is also evolving – becoming clearer, more succinct and more intuitive to help workers better understand and take control of their benefits portfolio.
The process of deciding whether a product is right for them should be a quick one – and this is now achievable with the modern flex platform. Some platforms, for example, will take employees on a journey, asking a series of questions and presenting the benefit options that resonate with their wants and needs.
Latest research is encouraging, suggesting that the importance of having the right benefits platform in place is being recognised. According to the Benefits Trends Survey, more than half (55%) of businesses said they were planning to create a shopping experience for members when they sign up for benefits.
On demand benefits
Culturally, employees are also increasingly accustomed to accessing services in their personal lives, anywhere, at any time. Mobile tech, subscription and on-demand services are becoming the everyday norm.
Although the importance of person-to-person interactions should not be underestimated, benefits that utilise technology to bring this trend for convenience and flexibility into the workplace can help achieve more effective levels of engagement.
The popularity of GP helplines and online doctors providing face-to-face video consultations, for example, is on the increase. A growing number of insurers and healthcare providers now offer telemedicine services that enable employees to receive a swift diagnosis and treatment plan for less complex illnesses and medical conditions, without the need to take time off work.
The need to appropriately target such benefits, however, remains paramount. Our research found that, while 41% of workers aged 18–24 would rather use video links to access GP services, such as medical advice, consultations or prescriptions, than visit their GP practice, only 16% of those aged 55 and over held the same view.
A question of confidentially
Fear of judgement can act as a barrier for some employees from getting the one-to-one help and support they need for mental health conditions.
In fact, our research found that as many as one in two (45%) employees would not feel comfortable disclosing stress or anxiety issues to their manager.
By providing access to online platforms that offer mental health management tools and services, or to counselling helplines, employers can allow employees to address their conditions in a confidential environment.
Engagement with healthy choices
There is a growing expectation for employers to offer employees health and wellbeing support, but employers should tread carefully – getting the approach right is key.
Our Employee Wellbeing, Health and Benefits Barometer found that more than half of workers are uncomfortable with their employer getting involved in personal lifestyle choices.
Tapping into current trends can help employers engage with employees on a level they are comfortable and familiar with – and offering access to health technologies, such as wearables and self-help apps, can help improve wellbeing and strengthen the resilience of a workforce, without direct employer intervention.
Wearables support preventative health by placing emphasis on leading healthier lives now, in preparation for the future. They can also be used to tap into the competitive nature of employees, encouraging participation through gamification.
Some organisations, particularly those that are frustrated at a lack of engagement, can be tempted to offer financial incentives to their employees. Worker wellbeing, however, should not be regarded as an undertaking that workers must be compensated for. Evidence from the US has suggested that while financial incentives may result in short-term behavioural change, this is rarely sustained.
For engagement with health and wellbeing technologies to be maximised, their introduction should coincide with effective employee communications that reinforce the personal benefits, clearly explain why they are being made available and dispel any misconceptions that may exist around data collection and usage.
This article is provided by Willis Towers Watson.
In partnership with WTW
WTW is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company.
