Employers use technology platforms to engage staff with benefits

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Shire Pharmaceuticals are among the employers using online technology platforms to maximise employees’ engagement with their benefits package.

In April, KFC launched an online total reward platform, which includes total reward statements and online shopping discounts for all its 10,000 staff, as well as a flexible benefits scheme for its 1,000 salaried employees.

It previously used a paper-based system, but was keen to offer a single platform to bring its perks together and let staff customise their choices.

Shire Pharmaceuticals has offered an online flex scheme since 2011, but was not using it effectively. In March, the organisation added a single sign-on that could be accessed at any time, and streamlined the online site to remove duplicate and overly-technical material.

Jane Fenwick, associate director of total rewards at Shire, said: “What we had in the UK was very traditional and didn’t really fit in with some of our core values, which include innovation. Developing a benefits hub, rather than a portal that people just go into once a year, aligns to that.”

The Benefits Research 2013, published by Employee Benefits this month, found that more than one-third (34%) of respondents do not use technology to deliver benefits. Among those that do, 32% use an HR system, 32% use a voluntary benefits platform, 31% use a flexible benefits platform, and 16% use a total reward portal.