One in three employees walks out the doors of their job every day still confused by or even completely unaware of basic aspects of the benefits plans offered to them, according to a survey by Voya Financial. This troubling statistic points to the fact that benefits providers could and should do a lot more to help raise employee awareness of the available programs and how those programs may benefit them.
The Changing World of Work and Benefits Providers
Worker expectations are on the rise as the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many people think about work. They want to work for companies that clearly go above and beyond to support them. Employees have the upper hand right now, as so many employers are desperate to get more workers hired to help them. Thus, employees can push their limits on what they demand in terms of salary, benefits, and much more. Clarity on the benefits offered is an essential element to attracting talent in today’s labor market.
No More Complicated Enrollment Processes
An olive branch that any benefits provider can offer to the companies they serve is a streamlined dashboard that makes it simple and straightforward to sign up for new benefits. Employees should have no trouble at all navigating their benefits. Plus, the dashboard should be user-friendly, making it easy to enroll in benefits and to change them as necessary. Benefit providers need to invest in the IT infrastructure to offer these programs to attract new clients.
Self-Enrollment Programs Are Popular
Today’s employees treasure convenience above almost anything else, and that is why self-enrollment portals are ideal. Self-enrollment allows workers to enroll for benefits in a way that is easy for them. They should be able to enroll from a desktop computer or even from their own phone. We recommend benefit providers make this process flow smoothly.
Bring the HR Department Into the Digital Age
There are tangible benefits for any employer that offers HR services such as benefits elections via digital means. Bizjournal.com identifies some of the upsides that companies have seen when they offer benefit elections via electronic means:
To overcome the reluctance of employees to go through health benefit documents, employers have improved employee engagement through digital enrollment and accessibility tools.
Engaged employees are not only safer, healthier, happier, and more productive than colleagues, as Studer Group noted in a summary of the benefits of employee engagement. They also stay longer, which is crucial in today’s tight labor market.
Given the tight labor market and the struggle to retain employees, companies want to double down on keeping their workforce happy. Benefit service providers who work with businesses as their clients should understand that this is what businesses are looking for. Then, expect their partners to offer these digital services from day one.
Bringing Ease to the Benefits Process Is the Future With Benefits Providers
Amazon made it possible to buy just about any product with the click of one button. Facebook made it possible to find long-lost relatives from nearly anywhere in the world. Lastly, on-demand television makes it possible for us all to watch only our favorite programs whenever we want. Given all of these advances in society, is it any surprise that people also want their benefits to come easily? Employees want full control over the benefits that they receive. Plus, they want the process of signing up to be easy. Benefit providers who can offer programs that accomplish these goals will do well with the businesses that they serve. Need an easy way to connect clients with benefits digitally? Contact us to learn more.
