The best benefits advice you'll get this week

Whether it's making a decision around returning to work, or finding ways to incorporate the right technology into workforce benefit strategies, today's employers have a lot to consider. 

But doing what's best for employees may be at odds with what leaders want to do themselves. Return-to-work mandates, for example, is one area where there's disconnect between the business imperative and the benefit to employees.  

"Fear is driving this — fear that not being in the office is contributing to dips in productivity," says Cameron Yarbrough, CEO and co-founder of Torch, a people development platform. "When fear drives decision-making, decisions usually aren't made with the facts in mind. The fact is: We don't know how much working in the office impacts productivity." 

Read more on why mandating an office return may be bad for business: Are return-to-work mandates really the solution to productivity?

Embracing artificial intelligence is another new frontier for many employers, and figuring out the most optimal way to use this new technology has come with a steep learning curve. At Aflac, leaders are hoping to strike a balance between in-person and virtual resources to best serve their team. 

"We're really seeing a blended workforce from a technology-expectation perspective," says Matthew Owneby, CHRO at Aflac. "At Aflac, we haven't gotten that down to a science yet. But we do have a portal where you can access all of those different things, whether it's a retirement benefit or a wellness benefit or a pure healthcare benefit." 

Read more on how Aflac is tackling tech: Aflac's CHRO talks tech, AI, and why employers still aren't listening to employees' benefits needs

Finding the right balance is an ever-evolving process, and the best leaders embrace the challenge. Many of them will be joining Employee Benefit News this September for EBN's in-person conference, Benefits at Work. If you haven't already secured your registration for Benefits at Work, you can do so here. 

Nearly 40 incredible speakers will discuss today's top issues: from creating affordable benefits packages and designing inclusive mental health care, to finding the right level of flexibility for your workforce and managing new regulations around pay transparency. 

Read more on what they have to say: Leaders from PepsiCo, AECOM and SAP share their best benefits strategies 

When employers get these strategies right, they reap the benefits of an engaged workforce. But when they get it wrong, employees are quick to head for the door. According to career coaching platform BetterUp, 96% of workers are looking to change jobs this year. To keep employees on the path to success, employers should avoid making mistakes that could damage their mission. 

"Change is hard for everyone, and it's human nature to retreat and not try anything new," says Kristi Leimgruber, a psychologist and behavioral scientist at BetterUp. "On a large scale, that's what's happening to organizations. They are sticking to what they know best."

Read more to avoid pitfalls that could tank your business: 4 ways organizations fail to upskill and retain their talent