Honestly… I hadn’t thought much about whether a benefits package could really affect company culture, until I met Nathan Craig of Culture Insurance. He’s the only person I’ve ever met who emphasized benefits as a part of building an engaged workforce. I thought you might be interested in his perspective too, so here’s a guest post from him. Enjoy!
Company culture is made, not born. It doesn’t come about organically in the beginning; you make it within the framework of your business’s vision, mission, and core values. Creating a powerful and effective culture means getting employees engaged with your business – and one of the first steps to accomplishing that is the right benefits package.
You Don’t Need Bells and Whistles to Build A Positive Company Culture
Over the past few years, you might have read about companies who offer free lunches, pool tables, game rooms, sleeping quarters, massages, and other amenities that are designed to keep their employees engaged and excited about coming to work.
For most companies, this isn’t possible. You don’t have the campuses or the resources, or your productivity flow doesn’t allow for perks like those. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer benefits people want and will appreciate.
According to an article from the Harvard Business Review, the number one benefit that people want from their employer is reliable health insurance, including dental, medical and vision benefits. If you offer a premium medical insurance plan, you are going to be more attractive to top talent than companies who offer standard or no medical insurance at all.
However, there are other types of insurance benefits you could also offer to employees that would provide them with a full amount of protection. For instance, you could offer life insurance. Employees with families will appreciate knowing there is a measure of protection for their family.
You might also offer disability insurance, which is vital for younger adults yet many don’t appreciate the protection it offers. According to the Disability Awareness Council, there is a 24% chance that a person will become disabled during their professional years. Disability insurance is a cost-effective way to offset the expenses while they recover.
No One Benefits If No One Uses It
By the way, make sure your staff is taking advantage of your benefits.
Sometimes, new employees sign on to benefits without giving them much thought. This is especially prevalent if they are young or don’t have a family. So, keep employees aware and educated about their insurance benefits and how easy they are to use.
In fact, Catherine has a 30-minute course about Communicating Rewards & Benefits on LinkedIn Learning. Check it out for ideas on how to effectively educate your workforce about your benefits and other rewards.
Taking steps like these build bridges between management and employees. It’s one step in creating an engaging company culture.
While insurance may seem like a mundane benefit that won’t get people excited, it is critical to creating a healthy company culture.
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Culture Insurance helps companies establish insurance programs that are not only effective, but relevant to your employees. We invite you to learn how we can help with a comprehensive insurance package, and how you can use it to leverage a better company culture.
Nathan Craig is President of Employee Benefits at Culture Insurance Services. He and his wife have four kids ages 6 and under, and love making a difference in people’s lives. You can reach Nathan at nathan@cultureinsurance.com.
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