Finding the right tech-enabled solutions for employee benefits

The conversation around the rise of powerful AI technology, like ChatGPT, has been hard to miss these past few months. And for benefits leaders and consultants, this has brought an interesting conversation on the impact of tech-forward benefits solutions to the forefront. How can these advancements in technology change the way we approach employee benefits?

Today’s employers still struggle to increase the utilization of resources in their benefits package, and many think technology alone can solve these inefficiencies. But there is an interesting balance here – while it’s evident that many traditional benefit models aren’t built for scale or efficiency, technology cannot replace the human touch these concierge and coach-based solutions offer. Especially when it comes to care-based solutions such as caregiver support.

However, if we can leverage innovative technology in addition to 1-on-1 human support, we can create an integrated and innovative experience where the impact on employees is clear.

In today’s saturated landscape, it can be overwhelming to keep up with the ‘innovative technology’ that will actually result in tangible engagement and bottom-line impact for your clients. Below, we’ll cover the key considerations for building an HR tech stack proven to meet the needs of a diverse workforce while delivering measurable impact.

Employee expectations have changed

What’s lacking in most benefit packages is not access to tech-enabled solutions, but to the right tech-enabled solutions. Employees are more likely to regularly engage and access systems if we invest in programs that prioritize a positive user experience.

We’ve all come to expect a certain level of innovation and ease in the solutions we use on a day-to-day basis – and a lot of these innovations lay in the ability to self-serve. Sixty-seven percent of users say they usually prefer self-service features over speaking to a human or representative. Today, we prefer to use chatbots and FAQ articles to solve problems on our own, instead of contacting customer service. The change in behavior is logical — these digital experiences provide us with information at our convenience and on our own timeline.

Employees have come to expect on-demand services and an excellent user experience in all aspects of their lives — and benefits are no exception. And yet, many solutions on the market today rely on coaches and concierges for access to important resources, slowing down accessibility and adding friction for the end user.

Many benefits professionals and brokers remain convinced that a high-touch, human-only solution is the best option for their employers. But in deploying a tech-enabled solution for caregiving support, we’ve found that employees typically prefer to access the tech platform 80% of the time and rely on the human navigator for the remaining 20%.

The right benefits solutions effectively integrate tech and human touch

When powerful and user-friendly technology is integrated alongside personal, human support, we can create more accessible, efficient, and accurate experiences.

For employees, technology enables a more curated and customized experience, and in more urgent situations (including caregivers, the fastest-growing employee group), it ensures they can access critical support the instant it’s needed. Often, employees are searching for support at critical moments, including for urgent physical or mental health support. In these situations, support solutions relying on a human expert can’t help until personnel is back online and available to connect in real time.

For employers, investing in benefit platforms that combine technology with human touch can provide deeper insights into adoption, engagement, and impact. Through measurable and trackable insights, employers can see exactly how their employees use the platform – from the kinds of support they request to how frequently they’re engaging, and more.

When investing in employee support platforms, employers also have to consider scalability. As more employers seek support for life events outside of the office, it will become costly to service each one with a dedicated professional.

This is where innovative technology like AI and ChatGPT allows us to improve manual processes and create deeper efficiency while reserving hands-on, white-glove support for the moments its needed most.

Tech can make a human more efficient, but can’t replace empathy and the human soul

It’s important to re-emphasize that the power of a truly engaging and effective support benefit lies in the integration of technological features and personalized human touch. One cannot be effective without the other.

Related: 5 things you’re not getting from your benefits technology provider

As tech solutions continue to emerge within the benefits industry – an industry that has historically been very focused on 1-to-1 white-glove service – providers and benefits professionals must carefully consider the types of solutions that will create scalable, efficient, and accessible solutions, ultimately driving utilization.

Steven Lee is the Co-Founder, President and COO of ianacare