Energising the employee experience

In this podcast episode Emma Bassett, UK Client Strategy Leader, Mercer and Nick McMenemy, UK & Ireland Consulting Leader, Mercer Marsh Benefits, join our podcast host Tiree Houghton to discuss one of the greatest challenges that businesses are facing, people risk and review some of the findings from Mercer Marsh Benefits UK People Risk report 2022 www.uk.mercer.com/uk-people-risk

Recent events, such as a pandemic and cost of living crisis, have further accelerated people risk up the business agenda. Businesses can't be reactive because they need to plan for the long game in the future. So how important is it for HR to embed sustainability at the core and how do they do that?

Emma Bassett: UK Client Strategy Leader at Mercer

Nick McMenemy: UK & Ireland Consulting Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits

For more episodes in Mercer’s Energising the employee podcast series, please visit: www.uk.mercer.com/podcast-series

Rising costs are leading to wage pressure for businesses. The challenge is that with the way that inflation is accelerating, it is just not sustainable to continually increasing wages, so an employer needs to think about other ways to help and support their employees. Craig Haines, UK Sales Operations Leader (SME), and Michael Probert, Senior Workplace Education Consultant at Mercer Marsh Benefits, join our host to discussthe cost of living crisis. In this podcast, we share our insights on the best things that businesses and HR can do to support their employees right now, with a particular focus on some of the elements that perhaps aren't on the radar at the moment, but maybe should be.

For more episodes in Mercer’s Energising the employee podcast series, please visit: www.uk.mercer.com/podcast-series

Guest speakers

Craig Haines: UK Sales Operations Leader (SME), Mercer Marsh Benefits,

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Michael Probert: Senior Workplace Education Consultant, Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Digitalisation has been a top agenda item for businesses this year, but what are the main challenges and blockers that businesses are having to overcome to get sign off to do a benefit technology project? We’re joined by Joanne Foster, Group Head of Reward & Benefits at Redde Northgate who shares her views on how the use of digital has really enabled them to simplify their processes, create efficiencies, improve the colleague journey and develop a suite of benefits. Guy Clarkson, UK Digital Growth Leader, Mercer Marsh Benefits also shares his insights on what business need to think about before they embark on their HR digital journey, and the trends he is seeing that have been the trigger point for businesses to make that move to digital. Listen to our podcast to find out what’s next for companies who are already embedded on their HR digital journey.

Guest speakers:

Guy Clarkson, UK Digital Growth Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Joanne Foster, Group Head of Reward & Benefits at Redde Northgate plc

For more Mercer insights on HR digital transformation please visit: uk.mercer.com/darwin.html

There has been a big shift from businesses dictating HR strategies, to HR dictating the business strategy, because ultimately the workforce is the most important asset organisations hold. Pre-pandemic businesses were thinking about the concepts of flexible work, and now, they are actually having to reconfigure what they do, how they do it, and where they do it and find ways to innovate at speed.  In our latest podcast, our workforce transformation experts Maura Jarvis and Pavan Bilkhoo discuss the importance of businesses understanding where they are going from a skills perspective and how the whole strategic workforce planning is key to designing the skills journey. How can organisations position themselves as a real talent magnet in the working environment?

Guest speakers

Maura Jarvis, UK Transformation Leader at Mercer

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Pavan Bilkhoo, Workforce Strategy Consultant at Mercer

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Mercer website: https://bit.ly/ep11-workforce-transformation

When it comes to increasing awareness of mental health in the workplace, we still have a long way to go. But collectively, we’re moving the needle. We are seeing more organisations place mental health at the top of their business agenda, regardless of size. Dr Wolfgang Seidl and Simon Berger discuss the strides organisations are making with their mental health strategies. And reflect on the importance of testing and being more aware, of our colleagues and clients alike, to ensure strategies contain that all important ‘human’ factor.

Guest speakers

Dr Wolfgang Seidl, Workplace Health Consulting Leader, UK and Europe at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Simon Berger, Founder of Make A Difference

Mercer website: https://bit.ly/ep10-adding-the-human-factor-to-mental-health-strategies

Businesses need to understand the current state when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to build foundations. Donna Biggs and Michelle Sequeira discuss why DEI is such a huge topic for businesses today and the pressure of them delivering in these areas is ever increasing. Where do employers start to make the biggest impact to their employees? Wherever you are on the journey of DEI, it’s important to understand quantitative and qualitative data to help prioritise actions.

Guest speakers

Donna Biggs, UK HR Leader at Mercer

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Michelle Sequeira, UK Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consulting Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Mercer website: https://bit.ly/ep9-understanding-DEI-journey

The pandemic has fundamentally altered the way we work. Having experienced increased flexibility, most employees are now looking for a better work-life balance. At the same time, employers have become acutely aware of how important the wellbeing of the workforce is to the success of their business.

Join Chris Bailey and Alison Byrne as they share their insights on our upcoming Health on Demand report, which looks at some of the biggest issues employees have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this correlates with what employers are actually providing. Our experts also explore the three key trends from the research; mental health, digitalisation, and diversity, empathy and inclusion.

Guest speakers:

Chris Bailey, Partner, UK & Ireland Region Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Alison Byrne, Consulting & Workplace Health Team Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Mercer website: https://bit.ly/ep8-health-on-demand

How well are organisations integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations into their overall employee experience? Join David Wreford and Yvonne Sonsino as they share their insights on employee experience including some of the peripheral aspects of organisations, from flexibility, to how organisations support working parents, and importantly sustainability and ESG as a frame and concept around the employee experience.

Guest speakers:

David Wreford, Partner, UK Sustainability Consulting Lead at Mercer

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Yvonne Sonsino, Partner, Global Transformation Services at Mercer

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Mercer website https://bit.ly/ep7-environmental-social-governance

What does employee health and wellbeing look like in the new world of work? Alana Rae and Dr Wolfgang Seidl discuss the different dimensions of wellbeing, how needs are changing and how factors like culture, flexibility, engagement, psychological safety and physical working environments have an important role to play in successful health and wellbeing strategies.

Guest speakers:

Alana Rae, Specialities Growth Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Dr Wolfgang Seidl, Workplace Health Consulting Leader UK and Europe at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Mercer website: bit.ly/ep6-health-and-wellbeing

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is now a top board priority and getting it right is increasingly important for talent retention and business success. Join Michelle Sequeira and Tony Wood as they discuss the meaning of DEI, the importance of data and understanding the real lived experience of employees, and the small steps businesses can take now to begin their DEI journey.

Guest speakers:

Michelle Sequeira, UK Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consulting Leader at Mercer

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Tony Wood, Managing Director, Continental Europe at Mercer Marsh Benefits

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Mercer website: https://bit.ly/ep5-diversity-equity-inclusion