Energising the employee experience Mercer UK

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,

craig.haines@mercermarshbenefits.com

Michael Probert: Senior Workplace Education Consultant, Mercer Marsh Benefits

michael.probert@mercermarshbenefits.com

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

guy.clarkson@mercermarshbenefits.com

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

maura.jarvis@mercer.com

Pavan Bilkhoo, Workforce Strategy Consultant at Mercer

pavan.bilkhoo@mercer.com



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

wolfgang.seidl@mercermarshbenefits.com

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

donna.l.Biggs@mmc.com

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

Michelle.Sequeira@mercer.com



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