Four-fifths (81%) of employers said they measure employees’ appreciation of the benefits that they receive, according to new research conducted by Group Risk Development (Grid).
The industry body for the group risk sector surveyed 500 HR decision-makers at UK businesses and among 1,210 employees for its latest report.
It found that 66% of respondents believe that their staff very much appreciate the benefits they are offered, which is more than triple (21%) the level that employees themselves said they feel.
The most popular way to measure staff appreciation of employee benefits was informal feedback to managers, HR, employee benefits or wellbeing champions (46%), followed by physical or emailed feedback or a suggestion box (46%), and a formal staff survey (45%).
Other popular ways include an employee benefits forum, working group or employee liaison group (40%), and online activities that measure clickthrough rates on certain topics, such as on employers’ intranet (39%).
The findings also highlighted that employee benefits are now considered a standard part of the remuneration package and, to be appreciated, employers should ensure they are actively highlighting where support goes that extra mile, that benefits can be accessed in a straightforward and efficient manner, and assessing whether staff have a comprehensive grasp of everything they offer.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for Grid, said: “We know that communication and appreciation are inextricably linked, as employees tend to value benefits more highly when they have a good understanding of what is available. We saw how quickly employee benefits providers pivoted to offer support for Covid-19 during the pandemic and, while this was an extreme situation, providers are constantly evolving their products to reflect employee and employer needs.
“Ensuring employees appreciate the employee benefits they are offered goes hand in hand with sentiment towards their employer as a whole. Organisations who clearly demonstrate that they care about their staff by offering appropriate employee benefits are more likely to earn the loyalty of their people.”
