Latest research* shows that only 39% of employers believe their employees have a good understanding of the full range of employee benefits provided.

Quality rather than quantity is required

Hybrid working is having an impact, with 38% of employers stating that they now find it more difficult to communicate the support they offer because many employees work from home either some or all of the time. Possibly in an attempt to fix the communication issues, 62% of employers say they now communicate health and wellbeing support more regularly. However, making communications relevant to employees is a sticking point, with 43% of employers saying they find it difficult to target specific messages to specific groups of the workforce.

Debra Clark, head of Wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits, says: “It’s positive to see that employers are clearly aware that communication of employee benefits is important, however in many cases, the current processes are not sufficient. What needs to happen now is for employers to fully understand the options open to them and to harness the tools to improve benefits communication.”

Utilising digital options

Interestingly, just over half of employers (55%) say they now concentrate more on digital health and wellbeing communications, by means of apps and digital platforms. This is possibly in response to hybrid working environments being more commonplace, it’s a way to reach more people on a more individual basis, and it’s a way that much of the workforce is now used to communicating.

Indeed, there are a variety of reasons why employers are utilising digital benefits platforms. These include:

·       It’s easier for employees to see all their benefits in one place 34%

·       It helps us communicate our employee benefits 33%

·       It makes it easier for employees to make use of their benefits 32%

·       It enables benefits to be accessed by employees at any time 32%

·       It helps employees make personal choices about which benefits to choose 31%

The digital communication of benefits enables messages to be more closely aligned to the needs of the individual employee, with certain groups and demographics directly approached with focused and appropriate communications. This can also be connected to employee benefits platforms, where employees can see the benefits they have available to them.

Debra Clark concludes: “Employee understanding of benefits needs to be a core priority and this will only come with careful communication. If employees do not know about, and understand the benefits on offer, then they will not make use of them, and the employers will not receive the value for the business.”

*Research from Towergate Employee Benefits