In the past few weeks I have been getting out into the market as much as possible, meeting all sorts of benefits suppliers, consultants and fund managers. This is in addition to speaking to many of the hundreds of employers who attended Employee Benefits Connect last week.
In all this, I picked up a shift in mood compared to recent years.
The days of ‘rabbit-in-the-headlights’ panicked looks on benefits managers’ faces as they frantically tackle auto-enrolment have gone (bearing in mind many of our audience are medium to large employers).
Instead, benefits managers are taking stock and wondering ‘where to next’.
But although the new world order is different, with new technologies available, new benefits emerging and new communication media on offer, it is important to remember that, before trying to find out what everyone else is doing, employers should first work out what they need for their organisations.
I have been surprised at how many leading consultants and suppliers have told me that they have had to remind their clients of this basic fact.
It can be exciting to see the latest whizzy benefits offering but it is really what your workforce needs? Have you checked it fits in with your HR and, ultimately, business strategy?
And given that we are now shifting into a time when talent (both top end, and the crucial majority of experienced, good staff) is likely to move, it is also important to ensure that whatever you implement really puts your people at its heart.
Debi O’Donovan
Editor
Employee Benefits
Twitter: @DebiODonovan