By Devin Partida
Employees often choose where they’ll work based on the benefits provided as part of an overall salary package. Ensuring everything runs smoothly keeps top performers happy in their roles and loyal to the company, but administrators can use some help to keep workers engaged. Modern technology provides numerous benefits to improve administering company perks.
Here are some of the technologies companies can use to streamline the process.
1. Employee Self-Service Portals
Researchers point to the reduced burden on human resources (HR) when employees can access information themselves. The time savings allows HR and leadership to become more creative and improve other processes. Self-service portals also improve worker engagement and connect them to company operations and advantages.
The benefits staff may be most interested in include determining how many vacation days they have available and scheduling time off without waiting for approval and going through additional channels. While the size of a company can decide how viable self-scheduling might be, the opportunity to navigate paid time off is crucial to growing a strong business model.
2. Automated Benefits Platforms
Finding the right balance between compliance and nagging can be tough on any management team. Turning to artificial intelligence (AI) is an excellent way to manage complex packages for workers. Computers can segment benefits into sections or lump them all together with charts and percentages of what’s been used and what’s left for the year.
The right system can automatically enroll employees in the program and generate reports for the department. It can also locate errors more effectively and fix them before they become problematic. Because workers can gain detailed information at any point, they’ll be more likely to trust they have the right coverage.
3. Polls About Benefit Preferences
Although a poll collects information and doesn’t run a benefits program, HR can utilize data-gathering devices to determine what employees most want from their employer. For example, around 56% of Gen Z worries about obesity and its side effects.
When HR sees several workers expressing concern over weight gain or lack of exercise, they can use those percentages to develop new company benefits and programs. The more employees feel heard and understood, the more they’ll engage with leadership and bring new ideas to the table. Leaders can reduce company churn in the process.
4. Software to Run Reimbursement Programs
Depending on the organization’s size, a business might offer a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or medical expense reimbursement plan (MERP). With a MERP, the company may cover part of submitted medical expenses or require the employee to meet a deductible.
Many brands provide insurance and kick in a percentage via a company-managed MERP to cover out-of-pocket expenses. The plans can also be offered in exchange for a third-party insurance plan.
5. Chatbots to Enhance Employee Satisfaction
Keeping workers happy is one of the top things company leaders can do to drive engagement and job satisfaction. Businesses that tap into the power of ChatGPT and other AI save as much as 30% on customer service. Applying the same principles to automating benefits programs can improve employee experiences.
Some companies have employees working the night shift, while HR works nine to five. The problem is that there is little benefit representation for those workers since they tend to sleep during traditional working hours. Chatbots can answer most questions and complete tasks when the HR department is closed for the day.
6. Mobile Access and Personalization
Most of the world uses smartphones to get online in 2024. Company officials should look for programs that allow employees to access their benefit packages from anywhere. Offering on-the-go access is particularly important for remote workers.
Creating a personalized experience for each employee shows them they are more than just another number. Programs can place them in the middle of the last section they visited or show them suggestions based on past actions. Modern technology pulls analytical data from the cloud and processes it with AI to present a dashboard created just for that person. Doing so allows them to utilize their benefits more effectively.
Improving Employee Satisfaction and Retention
Integrating various modern technologies improves employee engagement, which can lead to higher job satisfaction rates. They know they can reach out whenever they have a question and get an instant response from the system. A dedicated HR person can always follow up later if needed. Providing benefits transparency creates an engaged workforce able to make the most out of their salary package.
Author Bio
Devin Partida is the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com, and is especially interested in writing about business and BizTech. Devin’s work has been featured on Entrepreneur, Forbes and Nasdaq.
