When you think of employee benefit programs, your mind probably jumps to the usual suspects: health insurance, retirement plans, maybe a gym discount or two. Maybe you’ve even marked your calendar for Employee Benefits Day. But here’s the thing — many organizations stop there. And when they do add to their benefits lineup, it’s often a scattershot of perks that rarely evolve or resonate.
Today’s employees expect more — and they’re not shy about it. The workforce is more empowered than ever, and that means benefit programs need to do more than check a box. They need to attract great people, keep them engaged, and prove that your organization truly gets what matters most.
The good news? You don’t need a massive budget or a corporate army to build something impactful. These six simple steps will help you create a benefits program that actually benefits your people.
Building employee benefit programs isn’t just about offering a few perks and calling it a day. It’s about showing your people that you understand what they value — and proving that you’re willing to invest in it. The good news? A thoughtful program doesn’t have to be flashy or expensive. It just needs to be strategic, personal, and built with your workforce in mind.
Here’s where to start:
Spoiler: it’s not just pizza Fridays. 28% of employees say compensation is the top reason they’d walk away from their current job, with career growth, flexibility, and recognition close behind, according to the Achievers Workforce Institute’s (AWI) Engagement and Retention Report (EOR).
Every team has its own mix of priorities, so skip the assumptions and go straight to the source. Use surveys, pulse checks, or a real-time engagement platform to find out what your employees want more of — and what they could happily live without. That input is your blueprint for benefits that actually matter.
Benefit programs without goals are like treadmills without power — a lot of effort, not much progress. Whether you’re trying to win over new hires or keep long-time employees from jumping ship, it pays to get clear on your objectives from the start.
Here are a few common goals worth targeting:
Being intentional and upfront makes it easier to measure impact later, and helps ensure your budget’s being put to good use.
Appreciation is one benefit that sticks, especially when it comes with rewards that feel personal and meaningful. Combine that with recognition and rewards software integrated into your benefits program, and you’re turning everyday appreciation into a powerful engagement tool.
Here’s how to make it work:
Now that you know what your employees want, what your organization needs, and how rewards can fit into the mix, it’s time to bring your program to life. That starts with smart prioritization — and a little reality check around budget and compliance.
Here’s how to break it down:
The goal here isn’t to offer everything. It’s to offer what matters — in a way that’s thoughtful, sustainable, and aligned with both your culture and business goals.
Even the most thoughtful employee benefit programs can fall flat if no one understands them. That’s why clear, compelling communication is key.
Break things down in plain language. Explain not just what you’re offering, but why it matters — whether it’s how your 401(k) match works or how to make the most of paid time off. At the end of the day, clarity builds trust. Trust builds engagement.
A great benefits program is a living, breathing part of your employee experience — and it should grow with your team.
Gather regular feedback through pulse surveys, anonymous tools, or your employee engagement platform. Use that data to find out what’s working, what’s wasting budget, and what your people are asking for next (hello, hybrid flexibility). The more you listen, the more your program reflects what your team needs — and that’s what drives real impact.
Because when your benefits evolve with your workforce, you’re not just checking a box. You’re building a culture that adapts, improves, and listens.
Great benefit programs aren’t built on perks alone — they’re built on purpose. The best ones reflect what employees need to feel supported, motivated, and seen, both in and out of work. Here are the essentials worth including:
Recognition is one of the fastest ways to build connection and culture — and it pays off. Achievers Workforce Institute found that 80% of employees who are recognized meaningfully at least once a month would recommend their workplace to others.
Platforms like Achievers make it easy to build recognition into the flow of work, so it happens often, feels genuine, and reinforces the values that matter.
To make recognition stick:
Today’s employees aren’t looking for one-size-fits-all rewards — they want options that feel personal. Flexible, meaningful rewards show people you value their effort and their individuality.
With a platform like Achievers, employees can give and receive recognition points, then choose meaningful rewards that resonate. It’s flexible, scalable, and fits any budget.
Build your program around:
Wellbeing isn’t a wellness week and a fruit bowl. It’s a strategy. SHRM’s 2024 survey found that 70% of organizations prioritize flexible work benefits and 48% include wellness in their packages, because healthy employees stick around longer, show up better, and perform at their best.
Here’s how to make an impact:
Work flexibility is one of the top reasons employees decide whether to stay or go — it ranks third overall, according to the EOR Report. That makes it more than a convenience; it’s a deciding factor. Offering flexibility signals that you trust your people to manage their time and do great work, no matter where they are.
Consider these benefits:
No one wants to feel like they’re in a dead-end role with a shiny title. Growth matters — not just for career trajectories, but for motivation, performance, and staying power. In fact, employees who don’t feel supported in achieving their personal and development goals are 1.8x less likely to exceed performance expectations, according to AWI.
Try this approach:
Feedback shouldn’t feel like a performance review — it should feel like a conversation. Creating a culture of transparency keeps employees aligned, engaged, and invested in doing their best work.
Here’s how to center transparency:
Good employee benefit programs cover the essentials. Great ones make people feel genuinely supported. The difference? Recognition and feedback — and the tools to do both well.
A recognition platform like Achievers makes it easy to bake meaningful, personalized rewards into your benefits strategy. When employees can choose rewards that matter to them, recognition becomes more than a gesture — it becomes a reason to stay.
Layer in a Voice of Employee solution, and you’ve got a real-time read on how your team feels about what you’re offering. Surveys, quick polls, and anonymous feedback channels help you cut through the guesswork and act on what you hear.
Put them together, and your program stops being a checklist and starts becoming a reason people choose to stay.
Before you build your benefits strategy, learn the workforce trends shaping engagement and retention
Take your employee benefits program to the next level with Achievers
Employee benefits are the extra perks and protections that come with a job, beyond the paycheck. Some are required by law, others are just smart business. Depending on where you’re located, these mandatory benefits might include:
Some states or regions also require things like disability insurance or retirement contributions. Bottom line: offering the basics isn’t optional — but going beyond them is where companies can really stand out.
Non-financial benefits — also called supplemental or voluntary benefits — aren’t required by law, but they’re often the ones employees care about most.
Here are a few examples that go a long way:
These benefits might not show up on a pay stub, but they absolutely show up in retention and engagement.
Employee benefits are important because they don’t just attract talent — they keep it. A thoughtful benefits program signals that your company understands what employees need to succeed, both in and out of the office.
Here’s what great benefits really do:
Written by
Iris Leung
Discover how easy recognition can be with Achievers
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