5 Ways Data-Driven Insights Are Transforming Benefits Strategy

For years, benefits leaders have worked tirelessly to deliver programs that support their people. However, as employee expectations rise and business priorities evolve, the pressure to make benefits more strategic and personalized has never been greater.

Fortunately, the solution is already within reach. Today, forward-thinking organizations are turning to data-driven insights to optimize their benefits strategies, creating more impactful employee experiences and measurable business value.

In our latest guide, How to Turn Insights into Value: A Guide to Benefits Data ROI, we explore how leading employers are leveraging benefits data to align HR priorities with broader organizational goals. Below, we highlight five of the most powerful ways organizations are putting those insights into action. The full report covers each application in greater detail, along with supporting research and case examples.

1. Identifying Gaps Between Employee Needs and Offerings

A well-designed benefits program starts with a clear understanding of what employees actually need. By analyzing enrollment trends, eligibility gaps, and utilization data, employers can surface mismatches between their current benefits mix and what employees truly value.

One Empyrean client discovered that while mental health resources were available, enrollment lagged significantly among younger employees. With data in hand, they adjusted their communication strategy and saw a marked increase in engagement within a single enrollment cycle.

This mirrors broader trends: Gallup research shows that 44% of employees feel disconnected from their organizations — a disconnect that tailored benefits and targeted messaging can help address.

2. Improving Benefits Utilization Through Targeted Interventions

Too often, valuable benefits are underused. It’s not because they aren’t needed; employees simply don’t know how or when to use them.

Analytics can change that. By tracking how employees interact with their benefits, employers can identify underutilized programs and take strategic action.

For example, one organization found that less than 30% of eligible employees had enrolled in a financial wellness benefit despite clear demand. Through targeted messaging, segmentation, and timing, utilization more than doubled.

Actionable recommendation: Use data to surface underutilized offerings, then personalize communications to highlight the benefit’s relevance to employees’ lives.

For a detailed case example, download the guide and explore how top employers are improving utilization with analytics.

3. Driving Personalization at Scale

Employees now expect their benefits experience to match the personalized ease of their favorite apps. Data makes it possible to deliver that level of customization without adding administrative burden.

By analyzing employee demographics, preferences, and behaviors, employers can offer tailored benefits recommendations that support each individual’s life stage and priorities.

In fact, a PlanSponsor survey found that 72% of employees say having personalized benefits would increase their loyalty to their employer. Personalization isn’t just a perk. Now, it’s a strategic imperative.

4. Measuring ROI and Business Impact

Today’s benefits leaders must be able to demonstrate the impact of their programs on key business metrics like engagement, retention, and productivity.

With the right data, HR teams can track adoption trends, correlate benefits usage with business outcomes, and uncover opportunities for optimization. Dashboards and analytics tools also provide real-time visibility into areas that need attention.

According to a Gallup meta-analysis, companies with high employee engagement see 21% greater profitability. That’s a powerful proof point for data-informed HR leadership.

5. Enabling Agile, Continuous Improvement

A successful benefits strategy isn’t a one-time launch. It’s an ongoing effort. With data, employers can stay responsive to workforce shifts, evolving needs, and organizational goals.

By building continuous feedback loops into their benefits strategy, HR teams can adjust offerings, messaging, and enrollment experiences in real-time to ensure continued relevance, inclusivity, and alignment.

Some organizations are even using predictive analytics to forecast rising demand for key services, like mental health resources. This allows them to proactively meet those needs and prevent future gaps.

From Insight to Impact

We know that insights should ultimately drive action. With the right tools, data becomes more than a performance metric. It becomes a strategic advantage that empowers leaders, supports employees, and transforms organizational outcomes.

To explore these five strategies in greater depth and gain access to real-world examples and implementation guidance, download the full guide now: How to Turn Insights into Value: A Guide to Benefits Data ROI.