Employees are thinking differently about benefits. Is your engagement strategy keeping up?

3 ways employers can meet employees where they are and make benefits more relevant

Benefits have long been an important part of the employee value proposition. That hasn't changed. What is changing is how employees evaluate them.

For many employees, choosing benefits is increasingly a purchasing decision. They aren't simply deciding which benefits they want; they're deciding which are worth paying for, how much protection they need and where those costs fit among other household priorities.

Our recent research bears that out. 71% of employees say they have closely evaluated whether their voluntary benefits provide good value for their money, rising to 83% among Gen Z. At the same time, just 49% say they feel financially secure, while 54% cite inflation and cost of living as their top personal concern.

When benefit costs compete with housing, groceries, healthcare and other everyday expenses, employees have good reason to ask what they're getting for every dollar coming out of their paycheck.

That doesn't make benefits less important. Half of employees say stronger benefit options would make them more likely to stay with their employer longer, while 33% would be more likely to recommend their employer to others.

For employers, the opportunity is to recognize both sides of that equation: continue offering benefits employees value while helping them understand why those benefits may be worth choosing.
 

That requires meeting employees where they are in three important ways

1. Move from benefits information to decision support

Employees generally feel confident about their benefits knowledge. 90% say they're at least somewhat knowledgeable about the benefits their employer provides, and the same percentage know where to find benefits information. But access to information isn't necessarily the same as having what you need to make a decision.

As employees become more active participants in choosing and funding benefits, simply communicating what's available may not be enough.

Benefits education can do more to answer the questions employees are actually weighing: What does this benefit do? When might I need it? How does it complement my other coverage? What could it mean for my financial protection? Is it worth the cost for me?

That means shifting the goal from delivering information to supporting decisions—using plain language, relatable examples and relevant education to help employees understand the value behind the benefit.

2. Follow the employee's calendar, not just the benefits calendar

If employees are making increasingly considered financial decisions about their benefits, timing matters too.

Yet 50% say they typically think about benefits only during open enrollment, while 65% have never used or explored voluntary benefit options outside of their enrollment period.

The challenge is that employees' lives don't follow the enrollment calendar. A new child. An illness or injury. Becoming a caregiver. Getting married. Losing a loved one. These moments can change an employee's financial responsibilities and make a benefit that once seemed abstract suddenly relevant.

Gen Z may offer a glimpse of how engagement is evolving. Only 30% think about benefits during open enrollment compared with 50% overall, while 20% think about benefits during a major life change versus 8% overall.

For employers, that means thinking about benefits engagement around employee moments as well as employer milestones.

The answer isn't necessarily communicating more. It's creating relevant touchpoints when employees have a reason to reconsider their needs and helping them connect the benefits available to what's happening in their lives.

3. Match the support to the decision

Meeting employees where they are also means recognizing that not every benefits decision calls for the same experience. Technology can make benefits information easier to access and routine interactions more convenient. But as decisions become more personal or complex, employees tell us they want people.

When discussing sensitive life events such as caregiving, mental health, bereavement or pregnancy, 61% prefer human-only support compared with just 8% who prefer AI alone. For resolving a billing or claim issue, 59% prefer human-only support versus 8% AI-only.

At the same time, 62% say they want more flexibility in where and how they receive benefits guidance. The takeaway isn't human versus technology. It's matching the support to the decision.

Digital tools can provide access and convenience when employees want to find information or complete a straightforward task. Human support can provide context and guidance when the situation becomes complex, financial or deeply personal.

Rather than designing every employee journey around a preferred channel, employers can design around what the employee is trying to accomplish and what kind of support that moment deserves.

Making the move from benefits awareness to benefits relevance

Employees continue to value the benefits their employers provide. But they're also taking a more active role in evaluating what coverage makes sense for them and what deserves a place in their household budget. That raises the bar for benefits engagement.

Awareness tells employees what's available. Relevance helps them understand why it matters to them. Meeting employees where they are means creating that relevance and connecting benefits to the financial decision they're making, the moment they're experiencing and the support they need.

Because ultimately, successful benefits engagement isn't simply about getting employees to enroll. It's about helping them confidently choose benefits that fit where they are in life and provide meaningful financial protection when they or their loved ones need it most.