2015 strategic benefits―assessment and communication of benefits

October 15, 2015

SHRM Survey Findings: 2015 Strategic Benefits—Assessment and Communication of Benefits

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The 2015 Strategic Benefits Survey is part of a survey series administered annually since 2012 by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This research is used to determine whether various employee benefits are leveraged to recruit and retain top talent. The six-part series features the following topics:

Part 1: Wellness Initiatives Part 2: Flexible Work Arrangements Part 3: Health Care Part 4: Leveraging Benefits to Retain Employees Part 5: Leveraging Benefits to Recruit Employees Part 6: Assessment and Communication of Benefits

2015 Strategic Benefits Survey—Assessment and Communication of Benefits ©SHRM 2015

Introduction

• Change in investment in various benefits categories: One-half of organizations increased their investment in health care benefits since fiscal year 2014; about one-quarter increased their investment in wellness and preventive health (28%), professional and career development (26%), and financial and compensation (22%) benefits. Very few (2%-5%) HR professionals indicated their organizations had decreased their investment in various benefit categories.

• Most important benefit to the majority of employees: The majority of HR professionals indicated health care benefits were the most important benefit to the majority (more than half) of their employees. However, the percentage who indicated health care as the most important benefit to the majority of their employees fell from 87% to 72% when comparing current perceptions versus expectations in the next three to five years, indicating that the importance of this benefit may decrease over time.

• The main strategic focus for employee benefits package: More than one-quarter of HR professionals indicated controlling health care costs (29%) or ensuring employees understand the value of their benefits package (28%) was their organization’s main strategic focus for their employee benefits package; 17% indicated retaining employees was their main strategic focus.

• Employee knowledge of employer-sponsored benefits available to them: About two-thirds (66%) of HR professionals indicated their organization’s employees were “somewhat knowledgeable” about the employer-sponsored benefits available to them; 16% were “very knowledgeable,” a statistically significant increase from 2014 (9%). 32015 Strategic Benefits Survey—Assessment and Communication of Benefits ©SHRM 2015

Key Findings

• Primary method used to determine how much employees know about employer-sponsored benefits available to them: About one-fifth of respondents indicated their organizations determined the knowledge level of employees on their employer-sponsored benefits through the use of web-based benefits tools (19%); 16% used employee surveys. However, one-half (50%) indicated their organizations did not use any methods to determine how well employees understood the employer-sponsored benefits available to them.

• Effectiveness of the organization’s employee benefits communications efforts: More than one-quarter (29%) of HR professionals indicated their organizations’ employee benefits communications efforts were “very effective” in informing employees about their benefits; about three-fifths (57%) indicated these efforts were “somewhat effective.”

• Employee benefits communication budget: About two-fifths (39%) of HR professionals whose organizations had an employee benefits communication budget indicated the budget was increased in fiscal year 2015 compared with fiscal year 2014; very few (4%) indicated the budget had been decreased.

• Employee benefits communications methods used by organizations: The top benefits communications method used by organizations was providing online or paper enrollment materials to employees (76%), a decrease of eight percentage points since 2012 (from 84%). More than three-fifths (63%) indicated their organizations offered group employee benefits communication with an organizational representative, and one-half (50%) reported their employees received one-on-one employee benefits counseling with an organizational representative.


Key Findings (continued)

• Use of social media as an employee benefits communications tool: Very few respondents (3%) indicated their organizations used social media as an employee benefits communications tool. Among respondents who indicated their organizations were not using social media, 9% indicated they planned to start using it within the next 12 months. Although more than one-half (56%) indicated their organizations did not have plans to use social media for this purpose, the same was reported by almost two-thirds (65%) in 2014, representing a shift/increase in the percentage of organizations that may consider using social media in the future.

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Key Findings (continued)


• Health care remains the most important benefit to the majority of employees, at a time when HR professionals devote extensive time to complying with requirements connected to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Although some employers may opt out of coverage and pay a penalty under PPACA, research has shown this could be a detriment to recruitment and retention efforts. Knowing that, HR professionals should place added emphasis on communications for health care coverage options for their employees.

• The vast majority of HR professionals said their benefits communications efforts have some degree of effectiveness, but one-half of those surveyed do not use any methods to determine workers’ knowledge of their benefit offerings. Determining employees’ familiarity with benefits is an important component of communication plans, because many workers and job seekers today have forgone higher base salaries in favor of attractive benefits packages, particularly those that include flexible work arrangements.

• Many HR professionals indicated that their organization increased the benefits communication budget in fiscal year 2015, yet very few are using social media as part of their strategy. Given the low-cost nature of social media channels, HR professionals may consider using this medium as a means of educating their employees about benefits packages and controlling associated costs.


What Do These Findings Mean for the HR Profession?

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Key Findings

Awareness and Importance of Benefits

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Change in Investment in Various Benefit Categories Since Fiscal Year 2014


Note: n = 266-330. Respondents who indicated they were “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

Other benefitsFamily-friendly benefits

Housing and relocation benefitsBusiness travel benefits

Flexible working benefitsLeave benefits

Employee programs and services benefitsRetirement savings and planning benefits

Financial and compensation benefitsProfessional and career development benefits

Wellness and preventive health benefitsHealth care benefits

7%6%7%11%11%11%13%18%22%26%28%

50%

91%93%89%85%86%87%84%78%74%

71%70%

45%

2%2%5%4%2%3%3%4%5%3%2%5%

Increased Remained the same Decreased


Most Important Benefit to the Majority (More Than Half) of Employees

Health care benefits

Retirement savings and planning benefits

Flexible working benefits

Financial and compensation benefits

Leave benefits

Wellness and preventive health

Professional and career development benefits

Family-friendly benefits

Housing and relocation benefits

Other

87%

3%

3%

3%

2%

1%

1%

0%

0%

1%

72%

9%

6%

8%

2%

2%

1%

0%

0%

0%

In the nextCurrently

1e.g., telecommuting, compressed workweek2e.g., financial advice, bonus plans and subsidies, educational assistance, etc.3e.g., flu vaccinations, smoking cessation program4e.g., professional training5e.g., adoption assistance, elder care referral service

1

2

3

4

5

Note: n = 434-435. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

3 to 5 years

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What do these findings mean for the HR profession?Organization’s Main Strategic Focus for Employee Benefits Package


Note: n = 429. Respondents who answered “None of the above” or “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.1 e.g., health care

Controlling health care costs

Ensuring employees understand the value of their benefits package

Retaining employees

Increasing employee engagement

Recruiting new employees

Shifting some of the financial responsibility to employees for select benefits

Other

29%

28%

17%

9%

8%

6%

3%

1

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What do these findings mean for the HR profession?Employee Knowledge of Employer-Sponsored Benefits Available to Them


Very knowledgeable

Somewhat knowledgeable

Not very knowledgeable

Not at all knowledgeable

16%

66%

17%

1%

9%

73%

17%

1%

13%

67%

19%

0%

14%

72%

14%

0%

2012 (n = 433)2013 (n = 429)

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Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.1 Statistically significant difference from 2014.

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What do these findings mean for the HR profession?

Primary Method Used to Determine the Knowledge Level of Employees on the Employer-Sponsored Benefits Available to Them


Use of web-based benefits tools

Employee surveys

Employee focus groups

Employee meetings

Other

We do not use any methods to determine their knowledge

19%

16%

7%

4%

6%

50%

*

Note: n = 454. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. An asterisk (*) indicates that the response option was developed from open-ended responses.

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What do these findings mean for the HR profession?

Methods Used to Determine the Types of Benefits Employees Want


Employee surveys

Employee requests

Employee focus groups

Union negotiations

Comparison of competitors' benefits/market

Employee meetings

Other

We do not use any methods to determine what benefits employees want

30%

30%

9%

2%

2%

2%

7%

34%

*

Note: n = 461. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. An asterisk (*) indicates that the response option was developed from open-ended responses.

*

*

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Key Findings

Assessment and Communication of Benefits


Effectiveness of Employee Benefits Communications Efforts in Informing Employees About Their Benefits

Note: n = 437. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

Very effective

Somewhat effective

A little effective

Not at all effective

29%

57%

11%

2%


Change in Organization’s Current Fiscal Year’s Employee Benefits Communications Budget Compared with Previous Fiscal Year

Increased in current fiscal year compared with previous fiscal year

Remained the same

Decreased in current fiscal year compared with previous fiscal year

39%

57%

4%

Note: n = 302. Only organizations that had a employee benefits communications budget in place in both fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015 were included in this analysis.

2015 (n = 452)

2014 (n = 368)

2013 (n = 431)

2012 (n = 447)

Enrollment materials (online or paper) 76% 83% 82% 84%Group employee benefits communications with an organizational representative

63% 70% 62% 65%

One-on-one employee benefits counseling with an organizational representative

50% 52% 55% 51%

Intranet 44% 46% 46% 48%Newsletters (online or paper) 34% 41% 34% 39%Direct mail to home/residence 33% 38% 33% 41%Benefit fairs 21% 25% 24% 26%Virtual education 16% 15% 14% 13%Social media 3% 4% 3% 4%E-mails* 2% -- -- --Other 4% 9% 9% 2%


Employee Benefits Communications Methods Used by Organizations

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Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. An asterisk (*) indicates that the response option was developed from open-ended responses. 1Statistically significant difference from 2012.

Yes

No

Not sure

9%

56%

35%

8%

65%

27%

8%

57%

34%

8%

60%

33%

2012 (n = 429)2013 (n = 416)2014 (n = 347)2015 (n = 433)


Plans to Use Social Media as an Employee Benefits Communications Tool Within the Next 12 Months

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Note: Only organizations that currently do not use social media as an employee benefits communications method were asked this question. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.1Statistically significant difference from 2014.

Very few (3%) indicated their organization currently uses social media as an employee benefits communications tool.

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Note: n = 361. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.

Demographics: Organization Industry


Percentage

Manufacturing 23%Health care and social assistance 16%Professional, scientific and technical services 12%Finance and insurance 10%Government agencies 8%Educational services 7%Transportation and warehousing 6%Retail trade 6%Construction 5%Utilities 4%Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 4%

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Key FinDemographics: Organization Industry (continued)

Percentage

Wholesale trade 4%Administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services 4%Real estate and rental and leasing 3%Accommodation and food services 3%Religious, grant-making, civic, professional and similar organizations 3%Arts, entertainment and recreation 2%Repair and maintenance 2%Information 2%Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 1%Personal and laundry services 0%Other industry 11%


Note: n = 361. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.

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Key FinDemographics: Organization Sector

Privately owned for-profit

Nonprofit

Publicly owned for-profit

Government

Other

57%

18%

13%

9%

3%

n = 355


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Key FinDemographics: Organization Staff Size

n = 343


1 to 99 employees

100 to 499 employees

500 to 2,499 employees

2,500 to 24,999 employees

25,000 or more employees

30%

35%

21%

10%

4%

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Key FinDemographics: Other


n = 359

U.S.-based operations only 77%

Multinational operations 23%

Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only, or does it operate multinationally?

n = 360

n = 226

n = 226

Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same.

38%

Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location. 62%

Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?

For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or by both?Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices. 56%

Each work location determines HR policies and practices. 3%

A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices.

41%

Corporate (companywide) 75%

Business unit/division 11%

Facility/location 14%

What is the HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey?

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SHRM Survey Findings:

Survey Methodology

SHRM Survey Findings: Strategic Benefits—Assessment and Communication of Benefits


Survey Methodology:• Response rate = 12%• 461 HR professionals from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s membership

participated in this survey• Margin of error +/- 5%• Survey fielded May-June 2015

Project Lead:Karen Wessels, researcher, workforce planning, SHRM Research

Project Contributors:Evren Esen, director, SHRM-SCP, Survey Programs, SHRM ResearchBruce Elliott, manager, SHRM-SCP, Compensation and BenefitsJennifer Schramm, manager, SHRM-SCP, Workforce Trends and Forecasting, SHRM Research


Additional SHRM Resources

Health Care Reform Resource Page: shrm.org/healthcare

For more survey/poll findings, visit shrm.org/surveys

For more information about SHRM’s Research Services:» Customized Research Service, visit shrm.org/customizedresearch» Engagement Survey Service, visit shrm.org/peopleinsight» Customized Benchmarking Service, visit shrm.org/benchmarks

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About SHRM

Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org.

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2015 strategic benefits―assessment and communication of benefits

Recruiting & HR