How Can HR Infuse Empathy into Their Employee Benefits? 

With the economy, many employers are shifting back to the bottom line, while employees seek out greater work-life balance and overall wellbeing. There are a variety of ways to bring a little empathy to the benefits experience and help close this gap. 

The pandemic is officially over, still many employees are stressed out and need a little more empathy at work.  

Though some CEOs are still uncertain of the value of empathy in the workplace, 42% of employees are looking to their manager for support and 90% of employees are asking for flexibility. HR often carries the joy and responsibility of closing this gap and showing employees all the support available to them. 

Organizational cultures must prioritize the whole person; however, employee benefits play a part in delivering on HR’s empathy promise. Benefits are the steppingstones between health concerns, like depression and anxiety, and the resources to tackle these issues head on. 

Empathetic benefits take advantage of the latest smart technology. 

Technology levels the playing field by improving access to benefits and making it simple and intuitive to find providers, track claims, and make all sorts of health decisions. A solution like our AI assistant Sofia™, means any employee has instant answers night or day—in 27 languages on any device, including over the phone.  

Members get to choose how they want to communicate and when, knowing that the information will have the same accuracy and timeliness. Ultimately, any tactic that helps remove the friction and streamline health decisions is a win. This could look like personalized communications or a renewed emphasis on UX design.  

Empathetic strategies take into account diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Adding a variety of voluntary benefits, and lowering the requirements to take part in them, means employees can hand-select their unique benefits mix. For burnt-out caregivers needing additional mental health support or a disabled individual living with a chronic condition, it can be life-changing to have options that address their individual concerns.  

HR plays a critical role in ensuring employees have easy access to all their benefits and resources. Not only is it important to have a mix of offerings that suit employees’ health and financial needs, it’s also just as essential to have a strong communication strategy to get the word out. 

Employee feedback is one of the best ways to know if people feel their benefits and other programs meet their needs, are simple to use, and make them feel appreciated. HR teams that conduct regular employee surveys and interviews will discover what truly is considered empathetic in their industry for their people. 

If you’re in Mandalay Bay for the Health & Benefits Leadership Conference, don’t forget to stop by our booth #201. There’s still time to sign up for our HBLC Welcome Reception on May 3 at Libertine Social.