The importance of research to benefits success
Research and employee segmentation are arguably the most fundamental steps employers should take when considering and developing any employee benefits, reward or incentives programme. Here, Fay Bliss, marketing services manager at Accor Services outlines some of the issues employers should take to ensure they research and segment their workforce effectively to guarantee their selected benefits solution is as engaging as possible.
Start as you mean to go on
Assessing and evaluating the potential internal market and demand for an employee benefit can often start even before the launch of a scheme. When considering childcare vouchers, for example, employers can start to research and ask how many employees currently use or are thinking about registered and approved childcare. Accurate research at this stage gives an employer valuable information about the likely uptake of this benefit.
Yet, in addition to supporting the employers’ decision making process, this type of information also enables organisations to adopt a more targeted approach to communications once a scheme is launched, for example, by getting in touch with employees who have identified themselves as working parents. The upfront research also clarifies and informs any subsequent communication and engagement programme.
Segment your employees
Employees make decisions about their benefits selection in the same way as when they are consumers filling a shopping basket at the supermarket. So, by understanding and therefore targeting employee segments within the business, each of which has its own characteristics, aspirations, attributes, values and preferences, employers can better understand how their offering will relate to individuals personally and therefore be more effective.
A workforce can be segmented along the lines of age, but also geographic area, department or team, job level, gender, length of service or rate of benefits usage in the past. And once segments are defined and in place, employers can start to involve them in focus groups, as well as use their feedback as a benchmark to measure the effectiveness and impact of benefits, rewards and incentives.
You can conduct employee surveys to further research the preferences and demands of each group as required, as well as identify the best forms of communication such as whether individuals can access online or offline communications.
Research doesn’t have to cost a fortune
It’s not necessarily crucial to commission formal employee surveying to research and segment your workforce. It doesn’t take a lot to quiz employees on what they want to see from an incentive or reward programme. Whilst larger organisations might be able to conduct an online staff survey, there’s no reason why effective research can’t be conducted with 25 employees, for example, over an informal lunch.
Not only will such events enable you to gather valuable information about employee expectations, but it will also help to bring employees together who can relate to each other and share their experiences.
In the case of flexible benefits, for example, informal focus groups (or even more formal employee surveying) can generate up-to-date information and data on the flexible benefits employees want to see and would respond positively to. Not only does this information enable you to more accurately predict take-up rates, but it means you are better placed to make sure that every penny of your benefits budget counts and is working for you.
Remember to keep communicating
Many employers understand that if they want to know what their employees want, all they need to do is ask. But alongside this, many forget to keep communicating with employees to understand their changing preferences and needs when it comes to benefits, rewards and incentives.
Despite asking, it’s possible that you may not be able to deliver on all employee expectations and demands immediately. But, by starting and continuing a dialogue with your employees about them and visibly investing in efforts to reassure them that their opinions do count and are heard, you can engage them and contribute to the success of future offerings.
Don’t forget the importance of line managers
Line managers have day-to-day contact with employees and are therefore well placed to listen and communicate with them. Their role is particularly important at the research and development phase when you can use their contacts and position as a corporate ‘middle man’ to access the opinions of your workforce.
In addition to this, by getting line managers involved as early as possible and getting them on-side you can also support future communications and the effectiveness of rewards, benefits and incentives when it comes to launching them to employees.
