Two in five employers admit they take a passive approach to promoting benefits and leave it to employees to initiate take-up.
Grid, the industry body for the group risk sector, said its research highlights a key gap between simply telling staff that benefits exist and actively encouraging them to use them.
Alongside this passive approach, 71 percent of employers told researchers they expect to struggle with recruitment this year. And almost all (95 percent) are expecting knock-on effects from challenges around hiring, such as reduced productivity (32 percent ), disruption to business continuity (30 percent), increased workload for other staff (27 percent) and a shortage of expertise (26 percent).
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for Grid, said: “We would very much encourage employers not to leave it to staff to take up employee benefits themselves. Proactive communications on health and wellbeing support must be prioritised by employers to help retain their current employees and reduce the challenge of finding and hiring new staff.”
The survey also looked at how organisations communicate benefits. One in three (30 percent) outline staff benefits in their welcome pack, 28 percent in a staff handbook and 24 percent explain the benefits available on an employee’s first day.
Other methods include email campaigns (22 percent), mentioning benefits before day one or in an offer letter (21 percent), staff noticeboards (21 percent), company intranet (20 percent), job adverts (19 percent), benefits promotional days run with advisers or providers (19 percent), wellbeing champions (18 percent) and benefits platforms or apps (17 percent).
Grid said repetition is vital. With only a fifth of employers communicating benefits before a new hire’s first day, many miss the opportunity to make an early impression. Recruitment advertising and onboarding, it added, are prime chances to show that a company values its people.
Moxham said: “Proactive, clear, and early communication around employee benefits isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for retention, recruitment, and workplace wellbeing. When staff feel genuinely supported, they are more likely to stay with their employer, so while offering a comprehensive employee benefits package is important, equally important is how those benefits are communicated.
“In today’s competitive recruitment market, employees increasingly recognise that it’s not just about the benefits on offer, but what they signal: an employer that genuinely values and prioritises the health and wellbeing of its people.”
