Three ways to boost employee engagement with your benefits platform
With daffodils blooming and the return of spring cleaning, it’s a chance for employers to reflect on their workplace benefits and consider what’s working – and what’s not.
Are we offering the right rewards and benefits? Are employees aware of what’s available? And how can we ensure employees are making the most of what’s on offer?
In the same way that you would approach spring cleaning, taking a step back and reviewing your benefits strategy could help you to identify where small changes could make a big difference.
Here are three practical ways that employers can boost engagement with employee benefits, helping to deliver more value for both employees and the business.
1. Provide benefits that deliver everyday value
If benefits feel relevant to the day-to-day lives of your workforce, employees might be more likely to engage with them. Therefore, providing access to a variety of rewards will help businesses to better cater to the needs of their workforce.
Offering your employees access to rewards and discounts could help to deliver tangible value and support them to do the things they enjoy.
Whether it’s discounts on food and cinema trips, money off gym memberships or savings on delicious recipe boxes, providing access to a range of rewards can help ensure that the individual needs of your workforce are catered for.
As the days get longer and lighter, employees might be looking for the chance to get outside, get active and socialise with others. So, giving staff access to discounts on hotel and spa stays, sports equipment and sports gear could help them to do something they enjoy and make good use of the benefits that are on offer.
2. Regularly remind employees what’s available
Offering great rewards and discounts is one thing but it’s equally important that employers communicate what’s on offer to maximise uptake and value for staff.
Whether it’s employee newsletters, intranets, video calls or colleague groups, employers should make use of all their comms channels to spread the word.
Giving your rewards and benefits regular airtime will serve as a frequent reminder of what’s available to employees and how the perks can support them every day.
When workplace benefits stay front of mind, employees may feel more inclined to use them.
As an employer, it's also helpful to ensure that employees can access their rewards in real time so that they can reap the benefits both inside and outside of work.
This especially applies to healthy behaviour-change programmes linked to smart devices and wearable technology which can integrate into the lifestyles of staff and help motivate them all year round.
3. Encourage leaders to use the benefits themselves
While productivity among employees is important, so is taking the time to rest and recharge.
Benefits such as savings on spa stays, cinema tickets and sports gear can give employees an opportunity to enjoy down-time doing an activity that they like.
Employers can also help to normalise down-time and winding down after work by promoting benefits that are linked to breaks, time off or hobbies.
Encouraging senior leaders to use these benefits themselves – and model healthy work-life boundaries – could also help employees to make use of these benefits without guilt.
How incentives can help to form healthy habits
Aside from giving employees the chance to save money through discounts, offering rewards and incentives can be really powerful when it comes to changing behaviours and forming healthy habits that last.
The benefits of getting more active are well known. Vitality’s Habit Index tells us that walking 7,500 steps five or more times a week is associated with an overall mortality risk reduction of 27%.
Yet, despite the benefits, it doesn’t always feel easy to maintain habits like walking more – which is why rewards can be helpful motivation when adopting healthier habits.
Therefore, providing incentives and rewards to your workforce, for example, like those offered through the Vitality Programme, not only delivers tangible benefits for employees but it can also encourage staff to get active.
And when workforces are happier and healthier, it’s a win-win for individuals, employers and wider society.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Vitality
At Vitality, we take a unique approach to insurance. As well as providing high-quality comprehensive cover, we provide a complete wellness package that can help boost employee engagement and productivity.
