A kaleidoscope of challenges and opportunities
The dynamic landscape of employee benefits and the expanding palette of workforce expectations was highlighted earlier this year in the Forbes article, "Personalization Is The Future Of Employee Benefits" (4/26/23). Right out of the gate, it cites Businessolver's not-so-startling revelation that 85% of employees grapple with confusion over their benefits. Yet, despite this conundrum, employees show an unwavering eagerness to engage with their benefits, from which we can infer that there's at least enough employee awareness to want to better manage their health, well-being, and lifestyle needs throughout the year.

In a digital world - where consumers have grown accustomed to tailored experiences, from personalized movie recommendations to custom shopping suggestions - the expectations for hyper-personalized services are at an all-time high. The influence of this consumer culture does not stop at the office door; it percolates into the sphere of employee benefits. Today's employees are looking for benefits that are as personalized as the rest of their digital experiences.

Moving towards mass customization
The process of selecting benefits is a deeply personal experience. Like choosing the perfect outfit or deciding on a dinner venue, benefits selection should be unique to each individual, reflecting their specific circumstances, aspirations, and needs. Employers are thus called to provide benefits that echo this spectrum of individual demands, creating a responsive, supportive framework that caters to the holistic needs of each employee.

So, what plans are right for ME?
At the core of this personalization effort lies the pivotal moment of enrollment. This is when decision-support tools can step in to guide employees towards making benefits elections that truly align with their needs and circumstances. Shelby George, CEO of PERKY, noted the importance of personalized guidance:"Employees don't just need education – they need their specific options put in the context of their unique life circumstances, during those specific moments of decision making." Such tools can assist employees in navigating complex choices. For instance, an employee could benefit from understanding how opting for a high-deductible health plan paired with a Health Savings Account (HSA) might help manage their monthly expenditures while simultaneously building a financial safety net for future health-related expenses.

From open enrollment transactions to year-round engagement
Knowing that the role and significance of benefits extend far beyond the annual enrollment period just keeps growing. In 2019, Brenna Shebel, Vice President at the Center for Data-Driven Insights at the National Business Group on Health, highlighted the importance of maintaining engagement post-enrollment in this SHRM article. Still, while decision-support tools serve a crucial function in guiding employees towards optimal paid - and voluntary - options, the call keeps growing louder for tools to increase the awareness and more frequent use of the many underutilized company-sponsored resources such as wellness, point solutions, EAPs, telemedicine services, etc.

"See me, hear me, heed me"
In the digital realm, personalization takes on myriad forms but the fundamental essence remains the same: ensuring employees feel heard, understood, and adequately supported. One practical way HR departments can make benefits more accessible is by demystifying the language used in communication. Eliminating jargon can remove barriers and ensure comprehension across all communication channels, irrespective of employee backgrounds or levels of benefits literacy. You want employees to say, "This makes sense." Even better, layering in values-based languaging (psychographics) helps to activate employees' trust centers, fostering their emotional sense of "This feels right."

"Show me the data!"
In this pursuit of enhanced personalization, data and scalable technology are indispensable allies. And while you can actively and passionately seek feedback from employees, you need even more personalized messages to increase survey response rates. The more employees who share their experiences - including what's causing friction and what's not - the better HR departments can tailor programs to better serve the workforce. Clean, well-structured data is more easily organized into useable information, so that HR and benefit teams have validated knowledge about what areas need to be prioritized for improvement, what needs refinement, and what's missing that may need to be added.

The last word
True personalization is holistic. It requires that we combine human values, needs, desires and aspirations with cutting-edge decision support mechanisms. We're building a more-evolved, stable chassis for an ongoing benefits marketing system. This, in turn, opens up a new frontier in enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. By harnessing this potent combination, employers can not only scale operations and reduce administrative burdens, but also effectively help employees draw meaningful connections between their unique needs and the value of their benefits. As we navigate this digital era, the convergence of personalized, data-driven insights, and digital innovation promises to revolutionize the employee benefits landscape, paving the way for a more efficient, responsive, and employee-centric future.

~ Mark Head
© 2023. All Rights Reserved.

Click the green button or the blue button (below) to visit our scheduling pages.