Why Your Employees are Not Using their Benefits

I have a client who is currently seeking a new job, and our discussions have revolved around their desired lifestyle and finding a job that aligns with it, in regards to schedule, salary and benefits. 

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This process has prompted me to reflect on my experiences interviewing managers throughout the years, particularly the conversations I've had with candidates where I focused on promoting the company's benefits.

In retrospect, I realize that I should have been inquiring about the lifestyle they aspired to lead in order to determine if the company would be a good fit.

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While most candidates seemed impressed by the comprehensive benefit packages we offered, many of them didn't fully take advantage of these benefits beyond the basic health insurance coverage.

This has led me to ponder whether we were providing the right set of benefits. After all, benefits are intended to attract and retain talented individuals.

However, in most of the companies I've been associated with, we primarily discuss benefits during the onboarding process and rarely revisit the topic unless it's time for open enrollment, when we inform employees about increases in insurance rates.

Today, I want to highlight an exceptional case that occurred during my tenure at Sweet Cow in Denver. As part of our benefits package, we provided a $100 monthly wellness stipend to each manager.

This stipend was clearly outlined in their profit and loss statements, and it was my responsibility to review these statements and inquire about any unused funds.

The unused funds were not a result of desire, but rather the result of poor time management or a lack of understanding of what the benefit could be used for.

During these conversations, we realized the need to enhance the flexibility of our wellness stipend to better cater to the individual needs of our managers.

We also began to understand the importance of having monthly conversations with employees to remind them that we offer benefits to enhance their quality of life, something that was important to our company culture.

Rather than simply reacting to their requests for specific benefits, we aimed to foster a proactive approach to self-care among our managers.

The outcome was the development of a clear, concise, and customized benefit package that aligned with the unique needs and lifestyles of our managers. This new package served as an excellent reflection of both the collective and individual preferences of our team, as well as the culture of our company.

When was the last time you evaluated your benefits to assess their utilization and determine if you're investing resources in benefits that don't meet your team's needs or desires?

DM me Christin Marvin if you'd like assistance evaluating the effectiveness of your company's benefit package.

Christin