When Was the Last Time You Actually Asked Employees About Their Benefits?

Employers spend a significant amount of money providing employee benefits. Yet when renewal season arrives, many benefits decisions are made without one potentially valuable source of information:

The employees actually using the benefits.

That doesn't mean employees should design the company's benefits program. Employers still have to balance cost, coverage, compliance, recruiting needs, and the long-term sustainability of the program.

But employee feedback can reveal problems and opportunities that aren't obvious from a renewal spreadsheet.

Before making your next benefits decision, it may be worth asking your employees what is—and isn't—working.

Employee Feedback Can Reveal What the Numbers Don't

Premiums, enrollment reports, and claims data can tell employers a great deal about their benefits program.

They can't tell you everything.

An employee may be struggling to find an in-network specialist. Another may not understand how the deductible works. Employees may value a benefit that management assumed wasn't particularly important—or barely know about a benefit the company is paying to provide.

These experiences can be difficult to identify unless employers ask.

A short benefits survey or structured conversation can help uncover issues before renewal decisions are made.

Ask Specific Questions

Asking employees, "Do you like our benefits?" probably won't produce particularly useful information.

Instead, ask questions that can lead to actionable insights.

For example:

• How easy is it to understand your current health benefits?

• Have you had difficulty finding an in-network doctor or specialist?

• Have you experienced unexpected prescription drug costs?

• Which benefits are most important to you and your family?

• Which benefits do you use most often?

• Are there benefits offered by the company that you don't understand?

• How satisfied are you with the current enrollment and benefits communication process?

• Is there anything about the current benefits program that regularly causes confusion or frustration?

The objective isn't to promise employees that every concern will result in a plan change.

It's to better understand how the benefits program is functioning in the real world.

Don't Turn Benefits Into a Popularity Contest

Employee feedback is valuable, but it shouldn't be the only factor driving benefits decisions.

If employees are simply asked whether they would prefer lower deductibles, lower copays, broader networks, and lower payroll deductions, the answers probably won't be surprising.

Every improvement has a cost.

Employers still need to consider the company's budget, carrier options, contribution strategy, workforce needs, and the overall value of each alternative.

Employee feedback should provide another source of information—not replace the financial and strategic analysis required to make a sound decision.

Look for Patterns, Not Individual Preferences

Every workforce includes employees with different healthcare needs.

One employee may rarely visit a doctor. Another may regularly use specialists or prescription medications. Employees with families may view the benefits program differently from employees covering only themselves.

It is usually impossible to design a benefits package that perfectly matches every individual preference.

Instead, employers should look for patterns.

If numerous employees report difficulty accessing providers, that may justify a closer look at the network.

If employees consistently misunderstand how a plan works, the problem may be education rather than plan design.

If certain voluntary benefits receive little interest, it may be worth determining whether employees don't value them or simply don't understand them.

Patterns can help separate isolated concerns from issues that may warrant action.

Sometimes the Problem Isn't the Benefit—It's Communication

Employee feedback can also reveal an important distinction.

A benefit may be valuable but poorly understood.

Employees might not know about resources already available to them. They may misunderstand how deductibles, copays, HSAs, HRAs, telemedicine, prescription programs, or other benefits work. They may not realize the employer is paying a substantial portion of their health insurance premium.

In those situations, replacing the benefit may not solve the problem.

Better communication might.

Benefits education shouldn't be limited to handing employees a packet during open enrollment. Employees are more likely to appreciate and effectively use their benefits when they understand what is available and how it works.

Don't Wait Until the Renewal Decision Has Already Been Made

Timing matters.

If employee feedback is collected after the employer has already selected next year's plans, there may be little opportunity to act on what was learned.

Gathering feedback earlier gives the employer and its benefits advisor time to evaluate whether the issues employees identify can be addressed.

That might mean reviewing alternative plan designs, comparing networks, examining prescription coverage, improving employee communications, or simply confirming that the current program remains the best fit.

Not every survey needs to result in a change.

Sometimes the feedback confirms that employees are generally satisfied with what is already being offered.

That's valuable information too.

Close the Loop With Employees

If you ask employees for feedback, tell them what happened with it.

That doesn't mean sharing confidential financial information or explaining every detail of the renewal negotiation.

A simple message can be enough:

"We heard your concerns about provider access and considered network availability when reviewing this year's options."

Or:

"Several employees told us the current plan is difficult to understand, so we're improving our enrollment materials and education this year."

Employees are more likely to participate thoughtfully in future surveys when they know their feedback was actually reviewed.

Better Information Leads to Better Benefits Decisions

Employers shouldn't build their benefits program entirely around employee preferences.

But they shouldn't ignore those preferences either.

The strongest benefits strategies consider multiple perspectives: what the company can sustainably afford, what the market offers, how employees use the benefits, and what the workforce actually values.

A simple employee feedback process can add an important piece of information to that analysis.

Before your next renewal, don't just ask what the carrier is offering.

Ask the people using the benefits what they're experiencing.

At Sound Insurance Brokerage Group, we help employers take a more strategic approach to employee benefits by looking beyond renewal rates and considering the needs of both the business and its workforce.

www.soundibg.com