Two in five employers admit that the take-up of employee benefits is left for employees to initiate themselves, according to new research from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk sector. This reveals a key gap between simply informing employees that benefits exist and actively encouraging them to engage.

In the same research, GRiD found that 71% of employers anticipate that they will struggle with recruitment this year, and 95% of those say that it will have an impact on their business such as reduced productivity (32%), disruption to business continuity (30%), negative impact on other staff, for example, from increased workload, (27%) and a lack of expertise in the business (26%).

Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD said: “We would very much encourage employers not to leave it to staff to take up employee benefits themselves. Proactive communications on health and wellbeing support must be prioritised by employers to help retain their current employees and reduce the challenge of finding and hiring new staff.”

How are employers communicating employee benefits?

In terms of the ways employers currently communicate the employee benefits they offer to employees:

·      30% do so in a welcome pack

·      28% in a staff handbook

·      24% inform employees on day one of employment

·      22% via email campaigns

·      21% inform staff before day one of employment or in an offer letter

·      21% use staff noticeboards

·      20% share information via a company intranet

·      19% do so before recruitment, for example, in job adverts

·      19% make use of support from benefit advisors, providers and suppliers, such as running employee benefit days

·      18% have employee benefits or wellbeing champions (staff)

·      17% via benefits platforms and/or apps

Why repetition matters

Consistently and regularly reinforcing employee benefits messages across multiple channels increases visibility and retention of messages. This is especially important and considered best practice, as employees will interact with various communication platforms and formats, depending on their preferences or role. Yet only around a fifth of employers communicate benefits before the first day of employment – leaving many new hires unaware of the health and wellbeing support available to them.

The recruitment process is an opportunity

Promoting the benefits on offer at a company can be a real support to the recruitment process. It visibly demonstrates that a company values its staff, and can encourage applications.

However, after the job advert, it’s not enough to simply include details of any support within a staff handbook that’s given to employees on day one of joining. The first day, week, or even month in a new role is often intense, and information can be missed. The support on offer needs to be regularly promoted to encourage take-up.

Katharine Moxham concluded: “Proactive, clear, and early communication around employee benefits isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for retention, recruitment, and workplace wellbeing. When staff feel genuinely supported, they are more likely to stay with their employer, so while offering a comprehensive employee benefits package is important, equally important is how those benefits are communicated.

“In today’s competitive recruitment market, employees increasingly recognise that it’s not just about the benefits on offer, but what they signal: an employer that genuinely values and prioritises the health and wellbeing of its people.”