How to boost employee inclusion and engagement

A look at the competitive advantages that international benefits afford employers and employees

The boundaryless workplace in all of its many iterations is here to stay. While the pandemic may well have accelerated how quickly workspaces have been reinvented, this evolution was bound to take place at some point.

It goes without saying, then, that the sooner companies approach the new workplace and employee experience from an innovative, inclusive point of view, the better off they will be as far as talent retention and attraction is concerned.

Besides catering for new ways of collaborating and more dynamic methods of productivity and performance measurement, HR expert and thought leader Damion Isaacs emphasizes how important it is for workspaces of all shapes and sizes to offer equal experiences and benefits, no matter where their employees are based.

In his LinkedIn Pulse article entitled A Workplace with No Borders: Three Important Things to Know, Damion writes: “Invest in the people, the policies, the platforms, and practices that create an excellent and equal employee experience. Employee experience should be a high priority. If employees are satisfied with their job – customers will notice!”

“It’s expected that employers will spend $15.4 billion on DEI efforts by 2026, nearly double the $7.5 billion spent in 2020, according to McKinsey. Yet employees are still being overlooked when it comes to the benefits that best support them, and even the work environment that could accommodate their needs.” – Employee Benefit News

Not all employee benefits are created equal

At The Unisure Group, we’re passionate about elevating employee benefits and making it easy for multinational employers to offer their employees equal benefits, regardless of where they’re based.

As Stephen Conway, Unisure Group’s Deputy Executive Chairman explains, the new ways of working that have proliferated since the pandemic have only further increased demand for international group benefit solutions that offer equal benefits, the convenience of working with one provider across multiple countries, and the peace of mind that currency stability brings.

“Besides the massive time and cost savings that multinational companies incur through HR, Legal and Finance having one Unisure point of contact to liaise with, there’s also equality of benefits to think about,” Stephen explains. “An employee who’s based in a developing country wouldn’t necessarily want their family in the UK or Europe to receive a benefit payout in a local currency that is unstable. Rather, by offering all employees international benefits, in GBP, USD or Euros, all staff members can enjoy the peace of mind that their policies will retain their value, regardless of where they’re currently posted for work.”

While many companies are aware of the need for great DEI efforts in the employee benefits space, it seems as though as lot of them haven’t evaluated how relevant the current benefits they offer are for the employees receiving them.

According to the Disconnect to Reconnect Survey, commissioned by the Switzerland-based human resources organization, Adecco, “73% of companies believe the well-being of their workers has become very important to improve worker engagement and satisfaction, yet only 1/3 of the companies actually offered them”. The survey, pulling employee wellbeing stats from over 16 countries around the world, also reported that 45% of workers “don’t feel supported by their companies in terms of wellbeing”.

Our international employee benefits team is growing

In response to the increased demand for International Group Health Insurance and International Group Life & Disability cover, we’ve expanded our international team and look forward to the dynamic ideas that UK-based Paul Harding, Unisure Senior Business Development Manager, and Asia-based Jonathan Earnshaw, Unisure Consultant Business Development Manager, will bring to the table.

Paul Harding, Unisure Senior Business Development Manager – EU & International

“I’ve always been interested in learning about what companies do and finding dynamic ways that group benefit solutions can help them,” says Paul. “As a global insurance solutions provider, we’re not just here to collect monthly premiums; we’re here to look after you and your employees in the bad times and help your business pull through. As the pandemic taught us, these kinds of fall backs can be invaluable, and that’s why we’re passionate about helping corporate decisionmakers understand just how much employee benefits can help employees with their physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.”

Jonathan Earnshaw, Consultant Business Development Manager – Asia

“It’s really important to give companies the right tools to provide the right level of cover for their employees, because ultimately the wellbeing and safety of a company’s employees is the most important part of the equation,” Jonathan explains. “As an agile and dynamic player in the market, Unisure is perfectly placed to make more international policies available to more people. That’s especially true of Unisure being more responsive to our clients’ requirements and better equipped to provide tailormade solutions for both local national and expats.”

In closing

The workplace as we once knew it has changed forever, as have employee expectations around work/life balance, company culture, and what a positive and engaged work environment looks like. For the employers looking to compete against the best and boost their talent attraction and retention rates, employee benefits can be a great differentiator.

If you want to set up a new international benefits policy for your company, or upgrade an existing policy, please visit our webpage for more information, or get in touch via info@unisuregroup.com and we will connect you with one of our specialist regional managers.