Wolseley UK to discuss future of flexible benefits

By Robert Crawford 19th February 2015 11:32 am 3rd November 2015 4:49 pm

Wolseley UK will embrace the flexible benefits technology of the future to help drive employee engagement.

Speaking in a session titled ‘The future of flex’ at Employee Benefits Connect on 4 March at the Lancaster London, Neil McCawley (pictured), head of reward, benefits and policy at Wolseley UK, will discuss how new technology will be a key part of its strategy, what advances there could be in flexible benefits technology that HR has not seen, and how flex technology can improve engagement.

He said: “This is of real interest. If the technology is there, more people will use it and engage with flex.

“As an organisation, we are still relatively new to this and it gives us a bit of an advantage to progress our system quicker and embrace the new technology.”

The heating and plumbing organisation launched its scheme, provided by Benefex, in January 2014 for its 6,200 employees.

Since then, it has added several new benefits and moved its enrolment window.

In his session, McCawley will also discuss what the next level of flex will be, new innovative ideas for benefit options to reinvigorate flex, how to progress flex plans through reviews and how to obtain true flexibility with benefits.

He said: “There are key themes HR can look at. Take marketing and what is around with customer segmentation and targeting communications and specific interests.

“This is where employee benefits and flex needs to go, as well as allowing the offering to be accessed via tablets and smartphones. This will be our focus and key message this year.”

“But where I think it could go, is down the route of Amazon. Flex could use consumer analytics to show employees what other members of staff that are their age, salary band and so on are interested in or also selected.

“This is a sophisticated employee benefits tool and one of the advances we have not seen yet, the session will get delegates thinking about what they would like to see.”

Employee Benefits Connect will be held at the Lancaster London Hotel in London on 4 March.