Bridging the Benefits Gap

What’s causing the gap?

Lots of benefits packages don’t land because they’re built around a blanket approach. 

Modern teams are incredibly varied, made up of people at different life stages, with unique family situations, responsibilities, financial pressures, and personal experiences.  

Some are just starting their careers. Others are balancing mortgages, kids, or caring for relatives. Some are navigating mental health challenges. Others are dealing with rising living costs or adapting to big societal shifts.  

A one-size-fits-all benefits package overlooks all that complexity. 

In short: what supports one employee might be totally irrelevant to another. So, copying and pasting a benefits strategy from another company – or going with what’s trending – often falls flat.  

To be truly authentic, your benefits should reflect your business values and feel as individual as the people they’re there for.  

The cost of benefits that don’t click

Benefits that feel out of touch can hit your business where it hurts. 

If you’re not tuning in to what your people actually want and need, you risk pouring time, money, and energy into perks no one uses. That wasted resource can be especially painful when budgets are tight and every penny counts. 

Plus, when people aren’t getting the support they need, engagement can also take a dive. You might see a rise in stress, burnout, or absenteeism – which all come with a cost. 

Then there’s the emotional side of it. If employees don’t feel recognised or understood, their motivation tends to drop. Productivity follows, because it’s hard to feel driven when it feels like no one’s paying attention. 

In the long-term, poorly targeted benefits can lead to higher turnover. Replacing great people is time-consuming and expensive – not to mention the toll it takes on team morale and momentum. 

Small moments – big impact

When it comes to creating connection at work, it’s the small, consistent moments that really matter.

Regular check-ins and 1-to-1s help people stay in sync and make it easier to spot when someone might be struggling. Peer mentoring adds another layer of support, giving employees the chance to connect while growing in their roles.

Creating space to talk about mental health – whether through managers, wellbeing groups, or an EAP – helps build resilience and gives people access to support they can trust.

But it’s not all about structured support. Social events outside of work give people a chance to connect in a more relaxed way. Just make sure the activity suits everyone – after all, not everyone’s idea of fun is shouting over each other in a packed pub! Mix it up so no one feels left out.

And for teams that are remote, hybrid, or spread across locations, that sense of connection takes a little more work. In-person meetups and regular virtual moments can go a long way in keeping everyone feeling part of the same team.

Closing the gap

If you want your benefits to really land with your team, here’s how to close the gap and be sure they’re making an impact: 

• Listen to your employees: Get to know what they’re dealing with – personally and professionally. What are their challenges? What do they want to achieve? The more you understand their needs, the better you can support them. 

• Survey your staff: Ask them directly what’s working and what’s not. A quick survey can give valuable insights into what your people care about and need from their benefits. 

• Offer a variety of solutions: Make sure your benefits cover a wide range of needs, like mental health support, family-friendly perks, financial assistance, and so on. That way, everyone can find something that works for them. 

Start spreading the word

Now you’ve figured out what support your people want and put it in place, it’s time to make sure they engage with it. But for that to happen, your employees need to know what’s there.  

If they don’t know about the benefits on offer, they won’t use them, and all your efforts will fall flat. So, don’t leave it to word of mouth. Put a proper communication plan in place and keep it running long-term.  

Here’s how to get the word out: 

• Lunch & Learns: Host informal sessions to talk through the benefits and answer any questions. 
• Newsletters: Regularly remind employees of the benefits available and how to access them. 
• Intranet bulletins: Post updates and key information on the company intranet to keep benefits top of mind. 
• Line manager training: Ensure line managers know what’s available so they can signpost employees when needed. 
• Shout about it in recruitment: Highlight the benefits you offer in your recruitment materials to show candidates that you don’t just talk the talk.  
• Weave it into onboarding: Make sure new hires know what’s available to them right from the start of their journey with you. 

Review for relevance

Once your benefits are in place, it might be tempting to consider that box ticked and move on. But people’s needs don’t stand still – and neither should your benefits. 

A quick checklist can help you stay on top of what’s working and what’s not. Ask yourself:  

☐ What’s being used the most? 

☐ Is there any extra support we can offer that builds on those popular benefits? 

☐ Where are the gaps? 

☐ Are we spending money on anything that’s not being used – and could that budget be put to better use?  

If people are asking for something new and skipping over what’s already there, it’s a sign to rework things. That spend can go further when it’s backing something that really matters to your team. 

You don’t need to wait for a new year or big milestone either. These reviews are a great chance to check in and get a real sense of how your people are doing at work and beyond. 

Perks with purpose

So, to sum everything up, the perception gap is less about adding benefits to your arsenal and more about making the right ones count. The ones that feel relevant, meaningful, and genuinely useful to your people. 

If you want to create a benefits strategy that works for everyone, the Perkbox team is ready when you are.