Technology company integrates benefits into platform to engage 97% of people and increase profit by 35%

What they needed

In 2015, Causeway’s flexible benefits platform, Causeway Lifestyle, had been available to its employees for four years. An employee survey showed that employees were aware of their benefits but the benefits platform was no longer achieving the desired level of engagement. Research into the low performance of the platform showed that the Causeway brand and values were not reflected, use of discounts had decreased, and employees believed that wellness and other activities were entirely separate from Causeway Lifestyle.

Feedback from employees revealed a perception that the platform offered retail discounts only as other benefits were difficult to find. This formed a barrier for the largely male workforce as there was nothing new or different to encourage return visits. Accessing the benefits on smartphones and tablets was difficult, too, with many employees feeding back that it didn’t function correctly on their mobile devices.

How we helped

Causeway assembled a team who understood its brand and workforce to take the lead on the design and build of the new platform. A modern style was defined and clear structure put in place to simplify navigation and accessibility. Emphasis was to be put on all of the great benefits to employees so a customer-focused approach was outlined with monthly promotions. The new platform opened up great possibilities for enhanced employer brand recognition so it was given a strong visual identity. Icons were designed to provide clear navigation and the tone, language, imagery, and style used perfectly reflect the Causeway brand, too.

Mixed in with this is fresh and exciting content each month which aims to encourage frequent revisits and inspire employees to get involved with, or take an interest in, specific promotions. The previously lost wellness and corporate social responsibility activities were fully integrated alongside the wide range of benefits with global information such as a "Love your Gut" campaign, internal stories such as the charity fundraising and fitness Polar Challenge, news on previous successes, and opportunities to engage family members such as a children’s competition. As employee feedback is important to Causeway, opportunities for this are included in the platform so that the offering can be continuously reviewed and improved.

What they achieved

A teaser campaign was used to carefully time a high-impact re-launch and, combined with an ongoing promotional campaign, has ensured huge success for Causeway Lifestyle. Within just three days of the re-launch, 56% of employees had logged into the new site, rising to 97% during the first month. After six months, total spend was at £90,000, with an average saving of 9% over 800 orders, an amazing result for a small organisation.

All of this has a had a hugely positive impact on Causeway’s business outcomes as well. Comparing data from the six months before and after re-launch, Causeway’s employee turnover has decreased by 6% and productivity is improving with sales increasing by 73% and profitability by 35%. Whilst these may not be directly linked to the new platform, based on research it can be reasonably argued that having more engaged employees has contributed to the overall business improvements. Power to the people.