INFORMATIONOVERLOAD!How to make your bene!ts heard in a world of constant communication

benef its connection

ISSUE 15 / FEBRUARY 2012

Also in this issue:

How secure is your bene!ts system?

Insight, strategy and best practice in employee bene!ts from Asperity

2.

The world is constantly trying to communicate with us. Posters and

adverts everywhere you look on buses and trains. Thousands upon

and in emails.

story looks at how essential it is to have a provider that can

Glenn ElliottCEO, Asperity Employee Benef itsglenn@asperity.co.uk

WELCOME CONTENTSbenef itsconnection

Contents and Editorial 2.

Making bene!ts crystal clear 3.

Under lock and key: 4. How secure is your bene!ts system?

The savvy shopper comes of age 6.

See no bene!ts, hear no bene!ts, speak no bene!ts 8.

Employer Talk: Hobbs 10.

without notice.

London, W2 5RT. Tel 020 7229 0349www.asperity.co.uk

Go to www.bene!tsconnection.co.uklatest news and commentary on employee bene!ts.

3.

MAKING BENEFITS CRYSTAL CLEAR

Clarity should be at the foundation of how to market your bene!ts programme because you want your employees to use it.

succinctly to everyone how each bene!t is

employee bene!ts portals to ensure they have the quality standard you deserve.

all their branded bene!ts websites, awarded

Gateway portal.

an employee bene!ts website is as clear and

to your online presence, and to maintain

“The integrated communications plan has been really well designed to reach all groups of employees.” – Sara Davies, Reward Director, Ladbrokes plc.

4.

UNDER LOCK AND KEY:How secure is your employee bene!ts system?

Mention bene!ts fraud, and most of us think of those news-paper campaigns highlighting people who are falsely claiming unemployment or disabled bene!t while working – or running marathons.

becomes more sophisticated, it is important

“Your choice of bene!ts provider is key to ensure that you do not put your employees’ personal data at risk”

party you use with your employee data, which

may then store address, telephone and other

Temployers o" voluntary bene!ts. They o"er

to everyone in a way that other bene!ts

childcare vouchers and cycle to work.

provider is key to ensure that you do not put that at risk. So, how do you make sure your

their

accredited continuously since 2009, will have to implement a coherent and comprehensive suite

your data is always handled appropriately and securely.

desk policy so that physical data about your

can access the appropriate data to help your

data elsewhere.

can be trusted to protect your data.

Asperity backs up o"site is as secure as the

“Ensure your provider’s data centre – and any other key third parties – is also security vetted”

An in-house recruitment team ensures that all sta" have been vetted to high standards.

5.

proves that it has built controls around card

that your employees can withdraw their cash at any time, and in any amount that they

users the quickest and most secure response.

alison.crosland@asperity.com

DOUBLEDISCOUNT!

6.

THE SAVVY SHOPPER COMES OF AGE

We look at the rise in the popularity of bargain-hunting and why it’s more applicable than ever to have employee discounts in place.

into modern culture, there are implications

written o" as unrealistic.

Maximising employees’ disposable incomes has never been so relevant. By putting employee discounts in place for your employees, you’re giving them the option to stretch their salary by an average of £500 to £1000 a year.

locations.

important to the nation, employee discounts

by Ross Truesdale

ross.truesdale@asperity.com

7.

8.

In a typical bene!ts programme there is always a hardcore of employees who just do not seem to know what’s good for them.

employee discounts, salary sacri!ce and the

memory and they reward you with complete indi"erence.

How and why does that happen? Research

past !ve years shows some pretty consistent

1. “There is nothing in this programme for me”

the employer to !nd an employee discounts

2. “I had no idea this bene!t was available”

communications system to hand that acts as

delivered properly.

3. “I forgot about it”

street names provide increased o"ers on the

email communications. An event such as this

reward and bene!ts departments out there,

(birthdays/ anniversaries etc), insurance, utility and mobile phone contract renewals, and so on – your employees will soon wonder how

SEE NO BENEFITS, HEAR NO BENEFITS, SPEAK NO BENEFITS

1

9.

4. “I don’t know how to use the service”

one time or another, a 364 day Helpdesk at the

So with the right employee bene!ts programme in place and a provider who understands the ins and outs of engagement, you can help your employees see, hear and speak in the language of bene!ts.

10.

EMPLOYER TALK: HOBBSHR manager for Hobbs, Melissa Sincock, talks to account manager Aimee Wilkinson about the launch of Hobbs Rewards and the kind of reaction it has received from employees so far.

Aimee Wilkinson: What attracted you to Asperity initially? Melissa Sincock: Well, to be honest we had

to use. AW: How easy has it been to implement the scheme? MS:

impact on our time, which is what we need. AW: In terms of the launch communications that were provided, how e"ective do you think those have been? MS:

was done. That was a really nice surprise

11.

AW: You’ve seen Asperity’s Communic8™ programme, which e"ectively attempts to overcome objections from employees, how do you think that works for the organisation? MS:

can plan other activities and communications

di"erent retail incentives that we can put in

AW: How does the Communic8™ service di"er from the way you used to communicate your programme? MS:

AW: And how does your account manager help you in trying to achieve your objective in the bene!t you were trying to provide? MS:

about that, have you done this, are you

deadlines we had.

several days later. AW: Aside from account management, are there any other aspects in terms of innovation, or the Reward Gateway site itself that you like? MS:

AW: Has there been any feedback?

MS:

AW: Thinking back to your original objectives for the programme, how do you think Asperity is performing in helping you engage your employees? MS:

increased motivation.

With Communic8TM it’s organised, it’s arranged, it looks good and it’s well thought out.

Asperity Employee Bene!ts Ltd90 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RTt: +44 (0)20 7229 0349 f: +44 (0)70 9201 0022 e: bene!ts@asperity.co.uk www.asperity.co.uk

Bene!ts Connectione: hello@bene!tsconnection.co.uk www.bene!tsconnection.co.uk