Spreadsheets are great for budgets, but they can’t capture the heartbeat of the workplace. A medical plan might look competitive on paper, but what if half the team is still confused about how to use it? That gap between design and reality is why we launched the first Selerix Employee Benefits Survey Report. 

We didn’t just want to know what benefits employers were offering—we wanted to understand how employees experience them. Because at the end of the day, benefits are not just about cost—they’re about confidence, trust, and retention. 

And the message from our survey is clear: benefits don’t fail because employers are stingy. They fail when the experience is broken. 

Why Employee Feedback on Benefits Matters 

Too often, benefits conversations start and end with cost and compliance. Employers ask: What’s the premium? What’s the match? Those questions matter, but they don’t tell the full story. 

That’s why we went straight to the source: employees. We asked questions like: 

• Do you understand your benefits? 
• Do they feel personal, or just like paperwork? 
• Have your benefits made a meaningful difference in your life this year? 

The responses were revealing. Four in ten employees delayed care because they weren’t sure what their plan covered, and one in five missed work to deal with a benefits issue. These are not just personal frustrations—they’re organizational risks. 

If you’re in HR, that’s lost productivity. If you’re a broker, it’s a client whose investment in benefits isn’t delivering ROI. 

Employee Benefits as a Strategic Lever for HR Leaders 

HR professionals know that benefits drive attraction and retention. Our survey confirmed that reality in stark numbers: 

• 73% of employees say benefits matter as much or more than salary when considering a job. 
• 38% have turned down a job because the benefits package fell short. 
• Employees satisfied with their benefits are 5x more likely to stay and 3.5x more likely to trust their employer. 

The lesson? Benefits aren’t a perk to sprinkle on top—they’re a core driver of workforce strategy. When employees feel supported by their benefits, they also feel supported by their employer. When they don’t, disengagement follows. 

Why Brokers Should Rethink Benefits Strategy 

For brokers, these findings aren’t just interesting—they’re actionable. Clients are investing in benefits, but if employees don’t understand them, the value is lost. Brokers can use this data to: 

• Recommend tools that improve benefits education. 
• Guide clients to rethink open enrollment, where most employees spend less than an hour making decisions—and often do so at home, with little support. 
• Provide strategies that emphasize year-round communication, not once-a-year reminders. 

In Why Open Enrollment Needs a Rethink, we highlighted that most employees approach enrollment rushed, stressed, or uninformed. For brokers, reframing that process can be a differentiator and a retention tool for their own client relationships. 

The Human Side of Employee Benefits 

Here’s something employers often miss: benefits are as much emotional as they are financial. 

• Employees satisfied with their benefits report feeling safe, grateful, and valued. 
• Dissatisfied employees are more likely to describe themselves as frustrated, angry, and stressed. 

That emotional signal impacts performance and retention. A satisfied employee is far more likely to stay engaged, trust leadership, and go the extra mile. A frustrated employee? They’re already halfway out the door. 

This reinforces what we’ve shared in our Turning Communication into a Benefits Powerhouse webinar: employees want communication that feels relevant. In fact, our survey found that 51% of employees only take action when messages feel personal. More emails aren’t the answer—better, clearer, more targeted ones are. 

Where the Gaps Are: Communication, Clarity, and Confidence 

The survey uncovered several recurring friction points: 

• Only 27% of employees understand their benefits perfectly, and one in three report benefits regret. 
• 39% delayed or skipped care because of uncertainty about coverage. 
• Compliance blind spots remain serious: only 39% of ACA-eligible employees said the guidance they received was clear, and 67% of COBRA-eligible employees said it was confusing or missing. 

These aren’t just HR headaches—they’re business risks. Confusion leads to missed care, compliance exposure, and turnover. 

But there’s good news: every gap represents an opportunity. With better tools, clearer communication, and smarter personalization, organizations can close those gaps and turn benefits into a true asset. 

How Selerix Helps Employers and Brokers Bridge the Gap 

At Selerix, we’re not just analyzing the data—we’re acting on it. Our platforms are designed to solve the exact pain points revealed in this report: 

• BenSelect: Streamlines enrollment, reduces errors, and gives employees guided decision support so they make confident choices. 

• Engage: Powers personalized, year-round communication that keeps benefits top-of-mind long after enrollment ends. 

• ACA and COBRA Solutions: Deliver compliance clarity, reducing the risk that confusing guidance leaves employees uncovered—or leaves employers exposed. 

Our approach is pragmatic: simplify the complex, personalize the experience, and build trust. Because when benefits feel personal, they finally do what they’re supposed to—benefit people. 

The Takeaway: Benefits Only Work When the Experience Works 

The data is clear. Benefits satisfaction isn’t just about coverage or cost—it’s about communication, personalization, and clarity. HR leaders and brokers who understand this shift will be the ones who turn benefits into a true strategic advantage. 

If you want to dig deeper into the numbers and insights shaping the future of employee benefits, download the full report here: 2025 Selerix Employee Benefits Survey Report.