Building a benefits strategy for a global workforce isn't just about dollars and cents. For Jessy Rosales, VP of total rewards at SAP, understanding the journey both the business and its employees are on helps her build a benefits package that
"It's the employer's responsibility to place the smartest benefit choices in front of their employees," Rosales said this week at EBN's Benefits at Work conference in San Diego. "We link it to the culture of the company, and that reflects the business — what is the journey that we're going through?"
Rosales works with a team of just four other HR professionals, but serves a workforce of nearly 25,000 employees. She and her team can't do this work alone, and it's where a
"You make them part of the story," she said. "It's not just the business case of how much money I need."
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Lester Morales, founder and CEO of advisory Next Impact agreed that a successful partnership between a benefits adviser and HR team requires more than just an understanding of budget. Digging deep into available data and constantly checking in with various stakeholders can ensure that benefits remain aligned with the larger purpose of an organization.
"At the end of the day, we're a team," Morales said. "Force your way to that table. It has to start from the top and your adviser needs to be sitting right there."
While the data can be a "black-and-white way" to understand how benefits are being utilized, Rosales said her role as a people leader is about reflecting on talent needs first. She encouraged leaders to think more about a situation or scenario where a benefit program would be helpful, rather than flaunting a portfolio of offerings that people don't know how to use. A good adviser will help find the right balance, she said.
"I am not on the data everyday — so there has to be a good relationship with your partners and there has to be chemistry with your stakeholders," she said. "If you cannot speak the same language, it's going to be a numbers conversation. It needs to be a business, talent and culture conversation."
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Morales said he tells HR leaders what they "need to hear," not necessarily what they want to hear. Pointing out which benefits are resonating with employees, and checking in consistently on the overall strategy and plan can keep transparency at the forefront.
"We need to be able to say, this was the goal and objective, and then you need to go back and tell them what happened — we hit it, we didn't, why was it?" he said. "Yes, I have your data, but I'm trying to help you make better decisions with it."
At SAP, Rosales works with benefit advisers and her CFO directly to ensure that everyone is on the same page with the story they're trying to tell. Today, that means a focus on financial wellness, as well as a continued effort to help women rise up the ranks within the organization. And even if not all employees will benefit from a particular offering, the "perceived value" will benefit the organization as a whole, she said.
"We can have the most amazing benefits, but how do I make sure that people actually use it? How do you make sure people see the value in it?" she said. "Then it goes from, 'We have 42 programs, to, 'Why is this the best thing for you?'"
