About Scalefocus and How Scalefocus Revolutionizes Employee Benefits Policy:
Scalefocus provides tailored software solutions and services that empower businesses to grow and meet the challenges of tomorrow. We are a worldwide organization with a global perspective and a proven track record. We are specialized in creating and accelerating innovations for companies in North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Bringing together a world-class engineering team and industry expertise we help businesses navigate the technology maze in Healthcare, Fintech, Insurance, Energy & Utilities, IT, Logistics, E-Commerce & Retail, and others.
Our intelligently designed solutions result from our constant drive for technology excellence and the experience we’ve gained from 500+ successfully completed projects in 26 countries for 300+ clients, which include Fortune 500 companies, innovative start-ups, and established leaders across a variety of industry verticals.
The company operates from seven delivery locations. They are in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Turkiye, and has a sales office in the United States.
We are speaking to Tsvetelina Eremieva Chief People Officer на Scalefocus
What was your internal HR policy for corporate benefits for employees before you started working with Re:benefit? And was there a specific need or challenge that directed you towards the platform?
Before implementing a flexible benefits system at Scalefocus, our company followed a different approach. We used to offer the same set of additional benefits to all employees. This naturally necessitated searching for benefit options individually and negotiating contracts with different providers for each of them.
We realized that such an approach had several drawbacks. It was not personalized, as it did not consider each employee’s unique needs. Furthermore, the company incurred additional costs by handling contracts with different product and service providers. Internal surveys at the time showed that some of our colleagues did not avail of the whole set of available benefits. Or were unaware of certain of them. Thus, it turned out we were incurring a social expense that not only didn’t deliver substantial value to our employees but also led to decreased appreciation of the overall benefits package, with some employees taking it for granted.
To tackle this challenge, we needed a solution that could provide flexibility in terms of choosing benefits. And also in tailoring them to our team members’ specific preferences. We searched for a system that would enable better expense planning and budget management. And would provide detailed analyses and reports. Most importantly, would simplify the administration of benefits for our employees in different locations.
The need to adapt the process for providing additional benefits was also driven by the company’s rapid growth. This required not only a change in our business model but also the necessity to remain competitive in terms of our teams’ needs.
We were looking for a way to diversify the range of benefits provided to our colleagues so that they would be attractive, useful and would provide meaningful value to them. With the outbreak of the pandemic and the rapid transition to remote work, the needs changed.
The solution we were looking for had to meet the following criteria:
- Availability and variety: We wanted a solution that would offer a wide range of benefits, ensuring our employees had plenty of choices.
- Personalization: Our objective was to provide personalized benefits tailored to each employee’s needs.
- Lifecycle-based benefits: We aimed to offer benefits that catered to individual needs at various stages of our colleagues’ personal and professional development.
- Accessibility across locations: Given our multiple office locations in Bulgaria, it was crucial that the benefits would be accessible to all employees, regardless of where they were based.
- Expense planning and budgeting: We needed the capability to plan and manage benefit expenses efficiently, as well as to generate segmented analyses and reports.
- Ease of management: The solution had to allow a simple and easy monthly administration of benefits, making the entire process a click away.
These criteria were essential in our search for a solution that would enhance our benefits program and align it with the changing landscape of our workforce.
How did the process of implementing the Re:benefit platform unfold?
The process of implementing the flexible benefits platform was carefully and strategically planned by considering our employees’ needs. The stages we went through for the successful implementation of the system were the following:
- Selection of the provider: After a market analysis and internal research, we established a list of criteria to guide the selection of a provider for this type of service. We decided to choose Re:benefit’s platform.
- Identifying employee needs: We conducted a Pareto analysis, including a study of colleagues’ preferences, priorities, and motivational factors, in order to create a personalized and flexible social benefits system.
- Selection of benefits: We made a list of suitable benefit proposals to be included in the platform based on internal analysis.
- Launching the platform: The main challenge was meeting the responsibilities under existing contracts while initiating work with the flexible options offered by the Re:benefit’s platform. This stage required precise planning and coordination.
- Communication, training, and employee adoption: We gave our employees the training and information they needed to use the new flexible corporate benefits platform. This included creating user guides, FAQ documents, and conducting group and individual sessions as required to address questions, resolve problems, and help them switch to the new platform.
- Facing challenges: The primary challenge we faced at the beginning of the platform’s implementation was adapting to the new expense processes, utilizing reports, and performing other operational activities. Key to a successful transition was the good collaboration among all company departments and the effective communication with the service provider itself – Re:benefit.
After starting your collaboration with Re:benefit, what is the feedback from your employees? Do you notice increased satisfaction among them?
Our internal surveys show positive feedback from employees regarding the introduction of the Re:benefit platform for flexible benefits at the beginning of 2021. The team understand the platform’s operational principles and are satisfied with the diversity in their benefits portfolio.
Our team recognizes the Re:benefit’s platform as a competitive advantage and as one of the reasons to recommend our company as a top employer. They greatly value its flexibility, allowing them to tailor benefits to their needs. They appreciate the diverse range of benefits, the ability to change preferences on a monthly basis, and the option to accumulate a balance for voucher usage. The amount of the vouchers can be used partially or entirely, giving employees flexibility in their purchases. Furthermore, our colleagues are pleased with the continuous expansion of benefits since the platform’s launch.
Which of the provided benefits are most commonly used by Scalefocus employees? Do you regularly observe the use of the platform itself?
The most desired benefits among our employees are additional health insurance, sports cards, food vouchers, online shopping vouchers, and fuel vouchers.
Based on our category analysis, data indicates a growing employee interest in Health and Insurance, Free Time, Transportation and Mobility, Sports, and Donations. We’ve observed that many of our colleagues are enthusiastic about using the Re:benefit platform to make donations to different causes.
Employees choose their health insurance once a year, but our surveys reveal that for other benefits, some change their selections monthly, while others do so every 2 or 3 months. Interest in sports-related benefits typically rises during spring and summer, while winter sees more attention to online shopping vouchers.
Family members and parents spend their budgets on health insurance and shopping vouchers for children’s toys and school supplies. There’s another group we might call “young adults,”. They primarily allocate their budgets to sports cards, online shopping vouchers, and fuel vouchers. Food vouchers are popular among everyone. Our observations suggest that employees keep themselves informed about benefit news. And actively engage with benefit-related communications, and are open to trying out new providers.
What are the results and achievements that your company has attained following the implementation of the Re:benefit platform for flexible benefits?
Scalefocus distinguishes itself as a top employer through its innovative approach to employee benefits. The modern and flexible Re:benefit platform reflects our dedication to offering a personalized work experience. With this initiative, employees can choose benefits tailored to their unique needs, enhancing the overall work experience and satisfaction.
Scalefocus understands that a one-size-fits-all approach to benefits needs to account for the diverse preferences of its employees. The company enables employees to customize their benefits through Re:benefit. This strategic decision not only underscores Scalefocus’ commitment to its employees’ well-being and growth but also reinforces the culture of autonomy and choice that the company actively promotes.
These efforts also resulted in Scalefocus receiving the highest rating from the Career Show Awards 2021 jury for supplementary benefits.