Employee Benefits’ cover story for September, How employers can link benefits strategy to employees’ needs, was a much-needed look at the significance of two-way dialogue between employers and employees in relation to employees’ benefits needs.
It’s no great surprise that most employers don’t ask their employees about their needs, but what is often understated is the potential impact of this. The cost to organisations of providing employee benefits is significant, and one that should be leveraged by the employer that wants to see a return on its investment.
Getting benefits ‘right’ for all employees, and understanding their media preferences, is important. We cannot afford to fail to meet the benefits needs of Generations X and Y: their levels of engagement with benefits depend on us engaging in two-way dialogue with them and we shouldn’t shy away from doing that.
We know employers are not attempting to engage with their employees about benefits. August’s Employee Benefits/Capita Pensions Research 2013 found that 78% of respondents relied entirely on their pension provider to communicate their pension scheme to employees. Effective targeted communication starts with knowledge of the audience and its needs. So come on, employers, it’s good to talk.
Karen Partridge is chief business development officer at AHC