Why employee support helps derive better value from benefits

Human advisors can still support employees in a way that a user interface can't

Benefex recently opened an employee experience centre in The Philippines, which, alongside its centre in the UK, will enable it to offer 24-hour support to millions of employees who use its OneHub technology to access benefits, regardless of where they are in the world.

But not everyone agrees that global employee support services are an essential part of a global employee benefits programme. So how does employee support help you derive more value from your benefits technology?

1. By allowing you to live up to expectations

Even though benefits technology reduces the number of employee enquiries significantly by making benefits easier to understand and select, there will always be a need for helpdesk support.

And getting employee support right matters when employee expectations of their experiences at work continue to rise; in Benefex’s 2023 Evolution research, more than half (52%) of global employees reported that their expectations around benefits provision have risen over the last 12 months.

2. By giving employees choice

That might not be the same in every case (41% of consumers say they prefer digital channels to customer support, compared with 32% who prefer phone), but it does mean keeping some option for human interaction.

3. By increasing understanding and take-up

Employee support underpins benefits take-up by enabling employees to get additional expert help when they need it, not just when they’re at work. Offering comprehensive support to employees, through an appropriate balance of people and AI, whenever and wherever employees need it is vital.

It’s likely to become one of the differentiators among employers who see the importance of benefits technology, and benefits technology support, to the wider employee value proposition.

The right support for the right situation

The nature of employee benefits means there are times when employees will be seeking help with a benefits request that stems from a stressful or emotional situation. And employee experience advisors can support employees with empathy and emotional intelligence, in a way that a user interface cannot (yet).

For example, employees might need to make a claim on their private medical insurance (PMI) for a serious illness, they might need to urgently put PMI cover in place for their families, or an employee’s family member might need to get in contact if their spouse has died. In each of these situations, an empathetic approach can make a big difference. Despite technological advancements, humans are still best placed to provide the human-touch.

Meeting employees where they are, wherever they are, improves their overall experience. Having a 24/7 support function available to every benefits platform user in the world allowing them to access help on their terms, at any time of day and through their preferred channel, should be a given for any benefits platform worth it’s server space.