Socrates and Toyoda had the right idea
When a problem occurs in a process, we must strive to unearth the root cause.
The Greek philosopher Socrates developed a means of teaching that became known as the Socratic method. It centers on asking a series of questions that help people understand issues and their own ways of thinking about them. Nearly 2,400 years later, Sakichi Toyoda—founder of Toyota—developed the concept of 5 Whys: When a problem occurs in a process, repeatedly ask “why” in order to unearth the root cause of the problem.
Related: Questions and opportunities to create progress
The past couple of years have seen a series of events that have built on each other. The cumulative effect on the relationship between employers and their workers—and the employee benefits that are part of that relationship—is still emerging. Taking the lead from these two great thinkers, let’s focus on the questions we should ask ourselves and our customers as we seek the best solutions to meet customer needs through employee benefit plan designs.
Questions for the employer
- How has your business changed over the past couple of years in reaction to the pandemic?
- Have you had to make changes to your workplace environment as a result of the pandemic? If so, what changes have you made?
- What do your employees think of the changes?
- Do you expect to make some changes permanent or are you planning to return to a “normal” workplace environment when it makes sense?
- Have some benefits become more popular among employees in the past couple of years? If so, which are getting more attention from employees, and which are getting less? Why do you think this is?
- Inflation has put an economic crunch on both businesses and their workers. How has your company been affected so far, and what changes are you planning?
- Has your employee turnover rate increased in the past couple of years? If so, how are you responding to try to retain talent?
- Are you offering employees opportunities in the area of personal skills development?
- Are you using your benefit program as a tool to help recruit and retain talent? If so, is this achieving your goals at the present time? If not, do you think benefit enhancements will help reduce turnover and attract talented workers?
- Is your organization now competing for talent outside your historic recruiting territory due to the increasingly remote work environment? Are you recruiting employees in other states?
- How are you addressing compliance challenges when you have employees working in multiple states, with differing laws and mandates?
- How are you managing administration of benefits, including employee eligibility management, product enrollment, ongoing billing, and claims interfaces? Do you understand the roles a benefit administration system can play, and are you satisfied in this area today?
Questions for the employee
- How well do you understand your employer’s benefit programs?
- Are they relevant to your needs and the needs of your family? If so, what offerings are most (or least) relevant to you? If not, what would make them more attractive to you?
- Does your employer communicate enough information so you can make informed decisions and understand the cost and value of your employee benefits?
- How has your attitude towards employee benefits changed in light of COVID?
- Do you have benefits that help you achieve personal wellness in four key areas: your physical health, your financial health, your mental/emotional health, and your happiness? If not, what’s missing?
- What do you consider to be the biggest risks and challenges you face?
Once we hear answers from our customers, it’s time for us to work with them as their benefit advisors to help maximize the value of their employee benefit programs.
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