The most meaningful benefits interactions don’t happen during open enrollment. They occur when an employee receives help managing burnout, finds the right support during a life change, or feels seen by their organization at a pivotal time.
That’s the promise of personalized wellbeing, and it goes far beyond annual plan selection.
While benefits enrollment may be the starting line for employee wellbeing, a truly modern approach connects data, AI, and human insight across the whole employee journey, from onboarding and engagement to development, resilience, and retention. It’s about activating benefits, not just offering them.
This perspective is explored in greater detail in our e-book, The Future of Employee Wellbeing: Personalization Beyond Benefits Enrollment, which outlines how organizations can move from transactional benefits to holistic, personalized support that elevates the employee experience.
Here are five ways leading employers are reimagining wellbeing for today’s workforce:
Modern employees don’t want a static list of options. They expect dynamic, personalized support that adapts to their lives.
From predictive nudges to real-time recommendations, organizations are delivering wellbeing resources when and where they’re needed. That might look like:
This kind of personalization creates what many refer to as “always-on wellbeing.” It transforms benefits from a one-time choice into a continuous experience.
Gone are the days of waiting for employees to ask for help. With the right signals and systems in place, organizations can predict needs before they surface. The result: Organizations help employees avoid missed opportunities, reduce friction, and support employees proactively.
Predictive benefits support might involve identifying trends in benefits usage, detecting gaps in engagement, or tailoring communications to align with evolving life stages. With early signals, HR teams can act before problems escalate, offering relevant resources at the right moment.
Today’s workforce is used to intuitive, personalized digital experiences. Think: streaming services and online shopping platforms. Employees now expect the same level of personalized experience from their workplace tools.
By adopting AI-powered solutions that provide on-demand recommendations, organizations can help employees make more informed decisions about complex benefits with greater confidence. Real-time insights and digital support can simplify everything from choosing the best medical plan to managing health expenses or accessing mental health resources.
The result? Higher utilization, fewer questions, and a stronger sense of support.
Personalization is more than a technology upgrade; it’s a trust builder.
When benefits reflect employees’ identities, goals, and values, people feel seen and supported. According to a MetLife study, 72% of employees say that having benefits tailored to their needs would increase their loyalty to their company.
That sense of belonging is especially critical in today’s distributed and diverse workplaces. Whether employees are navigating a complex life event, managing a chronic condition, or approaching retirement, tailored outreach and personalized benefits information help ensure they’re not left behind. It’s not just good for the company culture. It’s essential for equity and inclusion.
Personalized wellbeing isn’t possible without visibility. Organizations must understand what’s working, what’s missing, and how different groups engage with their benefits offerings.
By analyzing trends in usage, segmentation data (including demographics such as location, job type, life stage, or benefit usage patterns), and communication gaps, HR leaders can continuously refine and evolve their strategies to meet the changing needs of their workforce. This turns benefits from a static offering into a living, responsive part of the employee experience.
With data as a guide, personalization becomes scalable and sustainable.
At Empyrean, we’re helping organizations shift from enrollment-centric benefits models to year-round wellbeing ecosystems. With the power of AI and data, employers can create experiences that feel personal, timely, and human because they are.
Benefits shouldn’t just be available. They should be activated.
Download the e-book The Future of Employee Wellbeing: Personalization Beyond Benefits Enrollment to explore how leading organizations are using personalization to anticipate needs, improve outcomes, and elevate employee moments that matter most.