While some employers aim to offer personalized benefits, many can often rely on incomplete data, shows findings from HUB’s latest study.
The 2025 U.S. Workforce Vitality Gap Index reports that relying on limited research could result in missed opportunities with engagement, productivity, and retention.
According to the findings, nearly three in four employees would be more inclined to stay with their employer if benefits reflected their personal needs, but employers are not offering the personalized programs needed for retention. For example, employees in the survey ranked work-life balance and flexibility higher than any benefit, yet most employers listed compensation as their top benefit strategy.
Despite the findings, 83% of employers and 76% of employees surveyed believe their programs reduce stress, boost productivity, and improve overall wellness, HUB reports. However, when it comes to financial wellness benefits, employees value retirement planning the most followed by personal wealth planning, but the percentage of employers who offer these benefits comes in at 68% and 53%, respectively.
Plan sponsors are likely looking in the wrong direction when educating themselves about benefit decisions. According to HUB, employers would rather rely on employee surveys than worker demographic analyses to make decisions about their benefits, indicating a missed opportunity for additional insights.
“Surveys and benchmarks only tell part of the story. For starters, they are often backward-looking. As a result, the benefits employees care about most—like flexibility and solutions that support financial well-being, including retirement planning—are often overlooked,” said Jim O’Shaughnessy, managing partner of HUB Retirement and Private Wealth. “For example, many employees express a desire for financial wellness, and companies often try to deliver. What our data shows is either the solutions offered to employees are missing the mark – or employees need more support in order to take advantage of the services offered.”
Even when companies invest heavily in money and time, misjudgments are likely to occur, the survey reports. This could result in a lack of engagement, a rise in absenteeism and turnover, and stalled recruitment.
While 72% of employers said they plan to alter their total rewards programs by expanding offerings, taking the time to analyze the right data could reduce time and money wasted.
To build an effective benefits strategy, employers should survey employees at least annually to understand any concerns with offerings, and work with benefits and financial advisors who can thoroughly analyze employee data, the survey adds.
“…We now know that organizations could dig even deeper to ensure that the insights they rely on are reflective of what today’s workforce really values,” said Linda Keller, HUB Employee Benefits COO. “Because the reality is that misalignments in these areas have business and financial implications —not just in turnover, but in productivity and culture.”
Additional insights from the survey can be found here.
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