I’ve spent years working alongside benefits and HR teams who care deeply about supporting their employees. They invest thoughtfully. They add meaningful programs. And yet, I often hear the same frustration: Why aren’t people (or more people) using the benefits we offer?
Looking closer, the answer is rarely about the benefits themselves. It’s about the experience employees have when they’re trying to use them—often in the middle of real life, when time is short and stress is high. Even the best programs can feel overwhelming if information is hard to find or guidance shows up too late.
In this article, I share what I’ve learned about improving benefits engagement, by starting with empathy, designing for real moments, and using AI carefully and intentionally to reduce friction, so that the benefits clients work so hard to design and implement are easier to actually use when employees need them most.
Rita Brennan, VP Senior Consultant, is known for her ability to break down complex benefits programs into their essential parts, so employees can quickly assess “what’s in it for me.”
