Ask an Adviser: How can benefits best support a multigenerational workforce?

Welcome to Ask an Adviser, EBN’s new weekly column in which benefit brokers and advisers answer (anonymous) queries sent in by our readers. Looking for some expert advice? Please submit questions to askanadviser@arizent.com.

This week, we asked Ed Ligonde, executive vice president of the Nielsen Benefits Group, to weigh in on the following: How can we best support a multigenerational workforce with family planning and mental health?

Patrick Strattner

Let’s face it, we have an incredibly diverse and multigenerational workforce, not to mention employees in different life stages. One 35-year-old may be in a very different life stage from another, even though they are the same age. That means that not only might they prefer to communicate differently, but different benefit offerings are going to pique their interest.

Where we’ve seen some employers have concerns is knowing where to begin or what solutions are out there. The good news is, there are a plethora of resources to enhance the support your employees need.

Before we can even begin to put a plan of action in place, there are a few things to consider. First, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, which actually leads to the second point: you must know your audience.

Read more: Employees want to manage their own health plans — this is why you should let them

The pandemic offers an incredible opportunity to understand what really makes employees happy. For example, we’re all aware that mental health is a pandemic within the pandemic. But unlike before, we’re now in a position to make sure that this is no longer a taboo subject, talk about it with our employees and put together tangible solutions to help people across the board.

To do that, start by soliciting feedback. Poll your employees. Ask them how they’d like to learn about benefits. Chances are you might learn more about your staff and what they need, and no longer make assumptions on their behalf.

Read more: How benefits brokers are self-sabotaging by being un-coachable

Then, chat with your benefit adviser. There are so many creative ways to provide support emotionally and financially for childcare, family planning, infertility and mental health. Several of these solutions can be customized as part of your health plan with the help of amazing vendors that focus on these silo needs as their bread and butter.

Lastly, take incremental steps to put these solutions in place. We have the ability to bring in one solution after another in a way that makes sense so that we not only don’t overwhelm employees, but can focus on a successful launch of any new support programs.

The key is to put together something that meets the actual needs of your employees, and then focus on the delivery and education. People don’t know what they don’t know. If you’re going to bring them a new awesome solution, shout it from the mountain top and do it more than once — they will thank you for it.