Discovery CEB explains how it uses data-driven insights to improve employee benefits, focusing on overall wellbeing to attract and retain talent.
Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits (CEB) is breaking new ground by using the latest technology to transform raw data into insightful information, driving effective employee benefits (EB) solutions. This innovative approach not only ensures employees secure optimal coverage from group life solutions, but also significantly enhances their overall wellness.
Nonku Pitje, CEO of Discovery CEB, emphasises the importance of employee wellbeing in retaining top talent. “Ensuring staff are well cared for is crucial for retention. Across HR functions, companies must not only attract but also retain the best staff,” she says.
Nonku highlights that the focus has shifted towards a holistic view of wellbeing, encompassing physical, emotional and financial health. This change influences employee decisions, pushing them to seek employers who offer comprehensive wellness security.
“The shift has been around wellbeing – whether you’re talking about physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, or financial wellbeing – that’s where people are currently focused.
CEB’s business includes a corporate business-to-business solution based on behavioural science. In parallel, the EB division addresses workforce needs on a day-to-day basis.
“It’s important that companies don’t just have offerings such as group life insurance as a line on their payslips,” says Nonku. “It’s not a tick-box exercise: people need to really understand what benefits they get. Most companies that offer these solutions rely on there being no claims to make their profits, and if no-one understands what benefits they have, there won’t be claims,” she notes.
Discovery’s data-driven model is pivotal in providing sustainable, impactful solutions to employees. The top health concerns identified by their EB unit – mental wellbeing, cancer, and musculoskeletal diseases – demonstrate this approach, in that this information is used to influence its products.
As an example, Nonku notes that cancer accounts for one in every two claims that Discovery pays, revealing that one in every eight South Africans is affected by this illness.
Typical group life benefits such as income support would come into effect when the diagnosis is made, but Discovery goes further. “We look beyond income protection to address the broader impact of diseases like cancer,” Nonku explains. Comprehensive care involves understanding and planning for all spillover effects, such as low self-esteem following a mastectomy and the need for reintegration support upon returning to work.
“Other aspects that aren’t usually thought about include the fact that, just as people will need to be off work, they could still have a family to look after, and this may mean having to hire someone. Then, we also need to plan for the employee’s return to work, which is more of a reintegration, as they may only be able to work a day or two a week initially,” she explains.
The importance of a holistic support system is underscored by the fact that ancillary costs for a cancer patient are R200,000 on average for each cancer patient. The question then becomes:can your group life benefits assist the employee, their family, and the employer in navigating the cancer journey? Discovery’s integration of data allows them to create solutions that address every aspect of employee needs, from counselling services to providing wigs for chemo patients.
The significance of emotional wellbeing is also growing, with claims doubling in the past five years. This area, often cloaked in stigma, is better managed through data-derived interventions. Discovery employs anonymous questionnaires to uncover prevalent issues, enabling them to suggest targeted interventions, such as introducing puppy therapy during Covid-19.
Such innovative measures are essential, given that only a small percentage (18 percent --20 percent) of employers have comprehensive wellbeing policies. Nonku notes that Discovery’s holistic approach enhances both employee support and company attractiveness, making it easier to retain staff.
In a world where employee wellbeing is increasingly vital, Discovery’s pioneering use of data is setting new standards in employee benefits. “We are the only provider using data so intelligently to guide the benefits we offer and help companies implement them. It’s a successful formula for all,” Nonku says.
