Global workforce, local needs: Tailoring financial wellbeing to drive inclusion
Benefits and financial literacy have never been more important to ensure all employees understand their benefits, no matter where they are in the world.
This shift has prompted global organisations to look for ways to support all employees' financial health.
Nudge spoke to an expert panel of reward and benefit leaders to uncover key strategies and actionable insights for building a global financial wellbeing programme that aligns with company goals and meets the needs of a diverse workforce.
1. Personalise to unique regional needs
When crafting a global financial wellbeing programme, it’s essential to understand that one size does not fit all.
Employees in different countries may face different financial challenges, have varied access to resources, and be influenced by different cultural norms around money.
Maria Behrens, financial wellness director at Goldman Sachs advises, “Use healthcare and medical data and information to back up your strategy.”
This means gathering localised data and insights, especially from healthcare and medical sectors, to inform your strategy.
By taking the time to analyse the specific challenges employees face in different regions, you can create a programme that resonates and is impactful for everyone.
2. Secure senior stakeholder buy-in
To successfully launch and sustain a global financial wellbeing programme, companies must get buy-in from the highest levels of leadership.
Artur Jager, director benefits strategy at GSK suggests, "Have ongoing discussions with your senior leaders to make sure that they understand the importance of employee wellbeing, including financial wellbeing, and ensure it’s part of your wider business strategy rather than a stand-alone item.”
When senior leaders see the program as aligned with the company’s strategic objectives, it’s more likely to be supported both financially and in terms of resources.
3. Measure and know the status quo
Before launching a programme, it’s crucial to measure the financial status quo of your workforce.
This gives you a baseline from which to assess the effectiveness of your initiatives and make data-driven decisions.
Brenton Peck, director at the Financial Health Network recommends, “Measure your people’s current financial health and be prepared to talk about it.”
By collecting data through surveys or utilising available financial health reports, you can better understand the gaps your programme needs to address.
4. Create a targeted and integrated communication strategy
Communication is central to the success of any global programme.
Employees in different regions speak different languages, follow different customs, and use varying channels of communication.
By personalising communication to fit the cultural and logistical needs of your employees across regions, you ensure that your message is received clearly and effectively.
Whether it’s localised messaging, language translations, or region-specific campaigns, your communication strategy should be dynamic and adaptable.
5. Identify and address company-specific challenges
Building an effective global financial wellbeing programme doesn’t just mean addressing generic employee challenges; it also requires a focus on solving specific company challenges.
It’s important to understand the strategic objectives of your organisation and align your financial wellbeing programme with those goals.
“The first thing an organisation needs to do when building a programme is identify what challenges you want your programme to solve. Understanding this will help to measure the outcome,” says Jeremy Beament, director and co-founder of nudge.
By solving company-specific challenges, your programme becomes more relevant and valuable to both employees and leadership.
Securing budget for these initiatives often comes down to addressing challenges that the CEO and other senior leaders care about.
“These programmes can really align to strategic objectives,” Beament explains.
If your programme is solving a specific problem that is tied to the company’s bottom line, such as reducing stress-related absenteeism or increasing employee productivity, it will be easier to get the necessary resources to make it successful.
Conclusion
To build an impactful and consistent global financial wellbeing programme, companies need to:
- Focus on understanding and addressing the diverse needs of your workforce,
- Align the programme with company objectives, and
- Create a robust communication strategy.
By following these steps, employers can ensure that their financial wellbeing programmes not only support employees globally but also bring consistency and measurable impact across regions.
In 2025 and beyond, companies that invest in the financial wellbeing of their employees, taking a thoughtful, region-specific approach, are more likely to see higher employee engagement, improved productivity, and a healthier, happier workforce.
Nudge's 2025 global financial wellbeing calendar is available to download.
In partnership with Nudge
A leading financial wellbeing benefit using behavioural science & technology to help employees.
