Inclusive Benefits and Employee Engagement

Benefits are the number two reason employees stay or leave a company. As workforces become more diverse, employers need to evaluate their current benefit offerings to ensure they’re both competitive and inclusive.   

We’ve been shouting this from the rooftops for a while but let us bring out the bullhorn once more: benefits are evolving far beyond basic medical, vision, and dental. A large part of the shift in inclusive benefits table stakes has happened alongside the evolution of today’s organizations: Gen Z has entered the workforce full-time, remote and hybrid workplace models are more ubiquitous than ever before, and inclusivity is top of mind across the board as employees seek out full-scope empathy in the workplace. 

Inclusive benefits go beyond what’s offered; accessibility, affordability, and visibility also matter. Fortunately, with a scalable benefits communication strategy and HR technology, employers can address these issues. 

Gaps in benefits awareness and utilization highlight inequities 

Our latest empathy data highlighted that employees are struggling to understand what’s available to them. This is notable one of HR’s biggest hurdles for employee engagement, especially when it comes to proving the value of behind the benefits spend. Larger than a lack of awareness, though, is a lack of benefits equity in many organizations.  

As today’s workforce becomes more diverse, benefits programs must scale to meet the unique needs of their employees. Today’s employees’ needs span a wide range: mental and physical wellbeing, access to care, financial security, chronic condition management and preventive care, planning for retirement… the list goes on and on and on.  

Inclusivity with benefits goes beyond just what’s offered, though. Employers must also consider the visibility of those benefits. Luckily, most of this can be accomplished with a scalable benefits communication strategy and HR technology.  

What inclusive benefits look like for today’s workforce 

No two employees are alike, and neither are their health, wellbeing, or lifestyle needs. While it’s not realistic to try to build a benefits program that can meet each of those individual needs, it’s very possible to build a scalable and inclusive benefits and total rewards program.  

Businessolver’s data shows that flexibility has consistently ranked as one of employees’ top-most valued empathetic benefit alongside:  

• Family planning benefits 
• Paid leave and time away from work 
• Mental health 

Accessibility and affordability are equally important as a broad shelf of benefit offerings. Technology can play a large role in creating a more equitable benefits experience for employees (check our Benefits Insights report for the proof), as well as looking at different ways to distribute employee benefit premiums.  

How HR can use technology and data to improve their benefits offerings 

Whether you have the latest HR tech stack or are still working through your options with your stakeholders, HR has plenty of data available to help them guide their benefits inclusivity strategy.  

1. Gathering and listening to employee feedback 

What better way to shape an inclusive benefits program around your employees than by including them in the process? Gathering, listening to, and responding to employee feedback is a crucial part of building an authentically empathetic workplace. It’s also a great way to understand how your current benefits suite is (or isn’t) serving your people.  

2. Reviewing utilization, enrollment, and participation data 

A clear indicator as to what’s visible and what’s relevant to your employees is which benefits are being used. Looking beyond the standard medical participation data, take a look at the numbers around your supplemental and sponsored benefits, including EAP, critical accident and illness insurance, HSAs and 401ks, and any other benefits or perks you offer your employees. Some key indicators within that data include: 

• Benefits with good enrollment numbers but low utilization: Do employees understand the value behind that benefit? Do they know how or when to use it? 
• Low enrollment or participation: Do employees know that this benefit exists? Have they been asking for it, or a similar version of it?  
   

3. Measuring how you stack up against your peers and competitors 

It’s always a good idea to see how you measure up against others in your industry (and even adjacent to you). If benefits are among the top reasons employees will stay or leave, it might be worth your while to see just how competitive your benefits actually are and if your benefits marketing and communication is as clear and effective as you want it to be.  

Inclusive benefits are crucial for building modern and empathetic workplace cultures and supportive employee experiences. Addressing awareness, accessibility, affordability, and benefits equity can help HR teams evaluate their opportunities to create inclusive benefits programs. With technology and data as allies, HR can continuously improve their benefits offerings for the benefit of all employees.