On Aon Podcast: The Business Case for Smarter Benefits Design

On Aon Podcast: The Business Case for Smarter Benefits Design
March 26, 2026 9 mins

On Aon Podcast: The Business Case for Smarter Benefits Design

On Aon Podcast Hero Image

Chris Simmons, head of health UK for Aon, is joined by Anthony Kemp, pensions and benefits director at Deloitte, to explore how organizations can rethink employee benefits.

Key Takeaways
  1. As talent expectations evolve, benefits are a core component of attraction, retention and engagement.
  2. Employees are more likely to recognize and engage with benefits when they are tailored to individual needs.
  3. Smarter design supports both employee wellbeing and cost control.

Intro:
Hello and welcome to On Aon — Aon’s global podcast that explores the top issues affecting businesses around the world with each week focusing on either a Risk Capital, Human Capital, Industry or Global topic.

This week it’s the turn of our Human Capital Insight, which looks at the big health, wealth and talent issues organizations are facing — and how they’re responding to them.

And we’ve got a special guest joining us today.

Anthony Kemp, who is Pensions and Benefits Director at Deloitte, is going to be talking to Chris Simmons, Aon’s UK Head of Health, about how the global professional services firm successfully revamped its benefits program. And in the process – struck the right balance between managing costs and meeting evolving employee expectations.

Chris Simmons:
Hello, welcome to On Aon. I'm Chris Simmons, the Head of Health at Aon in the UK. In today's episode of On Aon, we're exploring the future of work, digital employee benefits, and the evolving employee experience. I'm delighted to be joined by Anthony Kemp, the Pensions and Benefits Director at Deloitte. Deloitte has earned recognition for its award-winning approach to their employee benefits, and together we'll unpack how they've addressed some of the most pressing challenges. Anthony, thank you for joining us today.

Anthony Kemp:
Thanks Chris, it's great to be here with you.

Chris Simmons:
Let's start with a big picture. Anthony, our research shows that cost containment and employee value are front and centre for organisations at the moment. Aon's latest Global Benefits and Trends study found that 70% of multinationals now rank cost containment as their top strategic priority. From your perspective, why is benefits strategy so crucial for companies, and particularly for life at Deloitte, at the moment?

Anthony Kemp:
That's a fantastic question, Chris. It really gets to the heart of why benefit strategy is more critical than ever. From Deloitte's perspective, we're operating in a landscape that's defined by significant market pressures. On one hand, we're facing economic uncertainties and the need for cost containment, as your research highlights. On the other, talent expectations have evolved dramatically. Employees today are looking for more than just a competitive salary.

They want holistic wellbeing support, flexibility, and a sense of belonging. For a professional services firm like Deloitte, our people are our greatest asset. A robust and thoughtfully designed benefit strategy isn't just a perk, it's a strategic imperative. It directly impacts our ability to attract and retain top talent, foster engagement, drive productivity, and ultimately, maintain our competitive edge in a very dynamic market. It's all about demonstrating that we truly value our people and are invested in their overall success and wellbeing.

Chris Simmons:
Brilliant. I think that leads us really nicely into a question on people. One of the challenges we've seen across most industries is talent retention. It's often linked to a perceived lack of benefits or value. Can you talk us through the problems Deloitte faced and what triggered the need for change?

Anthony Kemp:
Absolutely, Chris. Like many organizations, we had a comprehensive benefits package. But what we'd heard from our employees through surveys and feedback sessions was a disconnect. They didn't always fully understand or appreciate the breadth and depth of what was available to them. The problem wasn't necessarily a lack of investment, but rather a lack of clarity and personalization.

Our employees felt that the benefits weren't always tailored to their individual needs, and the communication around them could have been overwhelming, needing them to access them all in many different ways.

This led to a situation where, despite our significant investment, the perceived value was lower than it should have been. We realized that to move beyond simply offering benefits to actively demonstrating their value and creating an experience that resonated personally with each individual. That feedback was the real trigger for us to embark on a journey of transformation and to bring all of our benefits into one space.

Chris Simmons:
Brilliant, yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense, Anthony.

And looking at our Employee Sentiment Study results, 72% of employees say customization and personalization of benefits is important to them. But actually, only 41% of employees currently experience that level of personalization in their benefits.

And I think it's fair to say that your team didn't just address the challenge, you created a fantastic award-winning solution. What steps were the key ones that you took to design the superior employee experience? And how did you balance the challenge of cost containment with delivering meaningful and useful benefits?

Anthony Kemp:
Yeah, it was a significant undertaking, Chris. I mean, but incredibly rewarding. Our approach was multifaceted, focusing on both the what and the how. Firstly, we started listening. We're listening to Deloitte, we conducted extensive employee surveys and data analysis to truly understand what our people valued most, where their pain points are, and what would genuinely make a difference in their lives. This was the data-driven insight was foundational.

Secondly, we prioritized personalization and flexibility. We moved away from a one-size-fits-all model towards a more modular and flexible benefits system. This allowed our people to choose benefits that best suited their life stage and individuals' needs, whether that was an enhanced health coverage, financial savings products, or benefits to assist with everyday life.

And thirdly, communication was key. We helped to develop a clear and engaging, accessible and communication strategy to ensure that employees understood the full scope and the value of their benefits. To do this, we had to leverage the technology to create an intuitive virtual benefits experience where they could easily understand what was on offer and how our flexible benefits system, MyBenefits, allowed them to view all of their benefits in one place.

Finally, regarding balancing cost containment with delivering meaningful benefits, this was a delicate but crucial act.

We achieved this through strategic sourcing. We regularly review our providers and negotiate the best terms we possibly can, ensuring that we're getting value for money on our investment. Focused on our return of investment, we prioritized benefits that often had clear returns for our employees, our employee well-being, productivity, and retention rather than just simply adding more.

Preventative health. We focus on preventative health and wellness programs such as cancer screening and health assessments and access to mental health support, not only to improve our employee health, but this has also helped manage our long-term healthcare costs.

It was about being smart with our resources and ensuring that every benefit offered a genuine value and an impact.

Chris Simmons:
I love that, Anthony. That's really refreshing to hear that you were able to personalize benefits to give people the benefits that they really wanted and they're able to utilize the best of Deloitte's sourcing abilities going forward because you probably couldn't buy everything for everyone, but being able to make that targeted probably makes all the difference. So well done to you and your advisors, I would say there. Looking back at the journey you went on, what were the biggest lessons you've learned from that?

Anthony Kemp:
Looking back, I think the biggest lesson we learned was that communication is paramount. You can have the most comprehensive and innovative benefits package in the world. But if your employees can't visualize it or don't understand it or don't know how to access it or even don't understand or perceive the value, then it can't ever really be considered truly effective.

Continuous, clear and personalized communication is absolutely essential.

Another key lesson is the importance of agility and continuous feedback. The needs of our workforce are constantly evolving.

So our benefits and our benefits strategy needs to be dynamic and responsive. As we move into Q2 this year and beyond, I see the next big priority for benefits and employee experiences revolving around holistic wellbeing and proactive support.

This goes beyond just physical health and encompasses mental health and financial and social wellbeing.

Organizations will need to offer more integrated solutions that support employees across all these dimensions, often leveraging technology for personalized recommendations and access to resources. Furthermore, the focus will shift towards demonstrating an impact.

We need to get better at measuring the return of our investment on our benefits programs, not just in terms of cost savings, but in terms of employee engagement and productivity, and for overall organizational help.

For leaders out there, my advice would be to genuinely listen to your people. And I mean, really listen to their requests. Be prepared to look at constructive criticism. Be prepared to innovate and view your benefit strategy as a critical component of your overall talent strategy. The two go hand in hand. We can't separate those now.

Chris Simmons:
Fantastic. Thanks, Anthony, and thank you for sharing Deloitte's story and your perspective on how we've been going so far. It's been an enlightening conversation.

Anthony Kemp:
Thank you Chris, it's been great to speak with you.

Chris Simmons:
For anybody still listening, if you'd like to learn more about the shaping of employee experience, please visit Aon.com.

Outro:
Thanks for tuning into the latest episode of On Aon. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to visit Aon.com to learn more about Aon.

We’ll be back next week with another episode — our Global Insight — where we’ll be looking at the impact of the latest political, economic and regulatory news.

General Disclaimer

The information contained herein and the statements expressed are of a general nature and are not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information and use sources we consider reliable, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

Terms of Use

The contents herein may not be reproduced, reused, reprinted or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Aon, unless otherwise authorized by Aon. To use information contained herein, please write to our team.

Aon's Better Being Podcast

Our Better Being podcast series, hosted by Aon Chief Wellbeing Officer Rachel Fellowes, explores wellbeing strategies and resilience. This season we cover human sustainability, kindness in the workplace, how to measure wellbeing, managing grief and more.

Aon Insights Series Asia

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Aon Insights Series Pacific

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Aon Insights Series UK

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Client Trends 2025

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Construction and Infrastructure

The construction industry is under pressure from interconnected risks and notable macroeconomic developments. Learn how your organization can benefit from construction insurance and risk management.

Cyber Resilience

Our Cyber Resilience collection gives you access to Aon’s latest insights on the evolving landscape of cyber threats and risk mitigation measures. Reach out to our experts to discuss how to make the right decisions to strengthen your organization’s cyber resilience.

Employee Wellbeing

Our Employee Wellbeing collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. You can also reach out to the team at any time for assistance with your employee wellbeing needs.

Environmental, Social and Governance Insights

Explore Aon's latest environmental social and governance (ESG) insights.

Q4 2023 Global Insurance Market Insights

Our Global Insurance Market Insights highlight insurance market trends across pricing, capacity, underwriting, limits, deductibles and coverages.

Global Risk Management Survey

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Regional Results

How do the top risks on business leaders’ minds differ by region and how can these risks be mitigated? Explore the regional results to learn more.

Impact Report 2025

Explore Aon's corporate sustainability impact and strategy.

Top 10 Global Risks

Trade, technology, weather and workforce stability are the central forces in today’s risk landscape.

Industry Insights

These industry-specific articles explore the top risks, their underlying drivers and the actions leaders are taking to build resilience.

Human Capital Analytics

Our Human Capital Analytics collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. Contact us to learn how Aon’s analytics capabilities helps organizations make better workforce decisions.

Human Capital Quarterly Insights Briefs

Read our collection of human capital articles that explore in depth hot topics for HR and risk professionals, including using data and analytics to measure total rewards programs, how HR and finance can better partner and the impact AI will have on the workforce.

Insights for HR

Explore our hand-picked insights for human resources professionals.

Workforce

Our Workforce Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon’s Human Capital team on topics ranging from health and benefits, retirement and talent practices. You can reach out to our team at any time to learn how we can help address emerging workforce challenges.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Our Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders to help dealmakers make better decisions. Explore our latest insights and reach out to the team at any time for assistance with transaction challenges and opportunities.

Natural Resources and Energy Transition

The challenges in adopting renewable energy are changing with technological advancements, increasing market competition and numerous financial support mechanisms. Learn how your organization can benefit from our renewables solutions. 

Navigating Volatility

How do businesses navigate their way through new forms of volatility and make decisions that protect and grow their organizations?

Parametric Insurance

Our Parametric Insurance Collection provides ways your organization can benefit from this simple, straightforward and fast-paying risk transfer solution. Reach out to learn how we can help you make better decisions to manage your catastrophe exposures and near-term volatility.

Pay Transparency and Equity

Our Pay Transparency and Equity collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team on topics ranging from pay equity to diversity, equity and inclusion. Contact us to learn how we can help your organization address these issues.

Property Risk Management

Forecasters are predicting an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Take measures to build resilience to mitigate risk for hurricane-prone properties.

Technology

Our Technology Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities of technology. Reach out to the team to learn how we can help you use technology to make better decisions for the future.

Trade

Our Trade Collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities for international business. Reach out to our team to understand how to make better decisions around macro trends and why they matter to businesses.

Transaction Solutions Global Claims Study

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Weather

With a changing climate, organizations in all sectors will need to protect their people and physical assets, reduce their carbon footprint, and invest in new solutions to thrive. Our Weather Collection provides you with critical insights to be prepared.

Workforce Resilience

Our Workforce Resilience collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's Human Capital team. You can reach out to the team at any time for questions about how we can assess gaps and help build a more resilience workforce.

More Like This

View All
View All
Subscribe CTA Banner