Survey: Employee Benefits Can Empower Workforce, Drive Productivity

Workers feel empowered when it's clear that their employers are investing in them. Whether it's a talent development program or standard health benefits, employees tend to respond to these outreaches with similar devotion to the company.

New research even suggests that this level of dependence on workplace benefits shifts from generation to generation. A survey released this week by MetLife found nearly half of all surveyed employees are counting on their employers to help with their financial needs. That figure soars to 55 percent for Gen-X members and 66 percent for Gen-Y.

“The workplace has changed rather dramatically over the last decade,” said Anthony Nugent, executive vice president at MetLife, in a statement. “However, employers' top benefits objectives have remained consistent, and the study highlights ways employers can evolve their strategies to cost-effectively attract and retain a talented and productive workforce.”

Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed that benefits programs can greatly increase productivity. Even more – 91 percent – said they can be leveraged to help retain staff, and 80 percent say they help attract or recruit new employees.