How benefits technology can be used to engage staff with benefits

Even the most compelling benefits offering will fail to engage and motivate staff if they are unable to interact with it easily, risking low adoption levels and frustrated employees.

Ed Smithson, principal, head of client technology, at Gallagher, says: “[Employers] may make significant investments in offering generous benefit programmes, but if employees don’t understand them or find the platform hard to use, those benefits often go to waste. Similarly, when a platform is clunky or overly complex, people stop using it and, over time, disengagement becomes the norm.”

This is an issue that needs greater attention, says Tom Nash, HR business partner at Pluxee UK. “We’re not just up against other HR platforms; we’re competing with the everyday digital experiences employees are used to,” he says. “If the product isn’t intuitive, fast and part of their daily flow, engagement drops. To keep people coming back, we need to remove friction, highlight value when it matters, and make every interaction feel simple and rewarding. If it doesn’t feel natural and useful, it won’t last.”

Dynamic technology 

New developments, though, mean there are more possibilities for employers looking to use technology to engage employees. Smithson points to a move away from static, access-only platforms to more dynamic and insight-driven centralised platforms. “Employees no longer just want a system that tells them what benefits they have,” he says. “They want a hub where they can actively manage everything, from pensions and health plans to gym membership and financial tools.”

AI is helping with this by guiding employees towards particular benefits and options.

Technology can also help educate staff, in areas such as pensions; something TPT Retirement Solutions has sought to do. Georgie Edwards, head of defined contribution, says: “We’ve used the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) [now Pensions UK] Retirement Living Standards to inform our digital retirement planning tools, so that users can model what their retirement might look like compared to the national average. A bigger focus on using technology to educate employees as to how they can make the most of their benefits, versus just presenting them on a page, will really help drive usability.”

Customised benefits

Personalisation is becoming increasingly important. Aon’s Employee sentiment survey , published in February 2025, found 72% of employees want customisation of benefits yet only 41% have access to this. David Kirk, growth leader, human capital technology at Aon in the UK, says: “This starts with the benefits and then moves into technology experience itself. The expectation is to mirror our consumer lives.”

Technology is evolving to reflect this, presenting users with content that is relevant to their interests, location or life stage. Sanjay Lobo MBE, founder of OnHand. says: “We use technology to match users with hyperlocal volunteering or sustainability actions based on what they care about. The ability to track personal impact, social or environmental, has become a standout feature and motivator.”

Gamification is becoming an important part of the mix, says Ankur Sharma, chief product and technology officer at Perkbox Vivup. “We’ve found that it resonates particularly well in areas like health and wellbeing, savings goals or recognition programmes; anywhere progress can be tracked, celebrated and socialised,” he says. “Points, badges or leaderboards alone won’t engage staff. But when those mechanics support a deeper sense of achievement, progress or peer connection, they can be a powerful driver of sustained engagement.”

This works best when any achievements translate into real-life benefits, adds Ray Law, co-founder of moneyappi. “It needs to be designed around intrinsic motivators like personal growth, and paired with extrinsic rewards that have real-world value,” he says. “In our case, users earn appiCoins for taking positive financial steps, which they can redeem for discounts, items and products from real retail partners. It’s no longer theoretical; it’s tangible.”

Simplified approach

Single sign-on technology can help remove frustrations for employees, enabling them to access multiple apps or systems from one login. Jane Hulme, HR director at Unum UK, says: “This joined-up approach also helps employers: it simplifies onboarding, reduces administration and makes it easier to communicate with employees. We see huge potential to work more closely with other healthcare providers, so the employee experience is completely seamless.”

Where employers can get benefits technology right, it can have a positive impact throughout the organisation, says Lisa Hack, benefits consultant at Innecto. “Engagement improves, wellbeing is better supported and employees feel genuinely valued and more connected to their workplace,” she says. “This leads to stronger retention, higher morale and a more productive workforce.”