How Bupa connected purpose, people and performance to unlock benefits tech investment

Creating a benefits strategy is one challenge. Securing the support to change it is another.

Bupa found itself at that point. Despite investing heavily in benefits, the organisation uncovered a clear imbalance in how that investment was distributed.

As Sheryl Lee, People Experience and Operations Director at Bupa, explained in our recent masterclass: “When it came to our benefits spend, the challenge we had was that we were spending 95% of our spend on 40% of our people.”

That left large parts of the workforce without the same level of support. “There were significant cohorts that weren’t getting the rich benefits support that we expect,” she added.

A turning point after Covid

The issue became more pressing in the period following Covid.

The contribution of frontline employees, particularly those working in care settings, had become much more visible across the organisation. Internally, this prompted a rethink. If Bupa’s purpose was centred on improving health, that needed to apply to its own workforce as well.

As Sheryl put it: “Bringing healthcare to all is our core mission at Bupa. To make that real, we had to start internally.”

What employees were actually experiencing

Like many large employers, Bupa had built up a wide range of benefits over time. The issue was not a lack of provision, but how those benefits were organised and accessed.

Reflecting on this, Sheryl said: “At Bupa, we really care about benefits, but they were previously not very well organised or accessible to our people. It became apparent that our huge investment into benefits was not being maximised.”

Employee feedback reinforced that view. Some people were unclear on what was available, while others found it difficult to engage with what was on offer. For those in non-desk-based roles, the gap was even more noticeable.

Making the case for change

Improving the experience meant rethinking how benefits were delivered. It also meant making a stronger case at senior level.

The conversation shifted from adding something new to making better use of what already existed. As part of that discussion, technology was positioned as a way to unlock value from existing spend.

Sheryl described that moment clearly: “When pitching benefits technology to the CPO, we explained that, actually, we’re not going to get the return on investment from that existing big investment into benefits if we don’t do something like this.”

What resonated most was the idea of making benefits more accessible and relevant across the workforce: “Technology levels the playing field: it’s accessible to everyone and personalised to the individual.”

Linking benefits to business outcomes

At the same time, the organisation was preparing for a period of significant growth. There was a clear need to ensure employees felt supported during that transition.

Sheryl explained the thinking: “We wanted them to feel that their deal was fair.”

To support that, the team connected their approach to outcomes that mattered to the business, including retention, engagement, performance and customer impact.

As she summarised: “We framed it around business benefit – being commercial about it – but also in terms of supporting our people to live healthier lives.”

Why stories mattered as much as data

Even with a strong case, progress was not immediate.

Like many organisations, Bupa had to navigate competing priorities and questions about further investment. Data helped, but it did not always land on its own.

What made a difference was how the case was brought to life.

Sheryl acknowledged the challenge: “It’s no denying that we’re asking for a leap of faith, but we really believed it was the right thing to do.”

Alongside the numbers, the team shared real examples of how benefits had supported employees. This helped shift the discussion towards tangible impact.

Gethin Nadin, Chief Innovation Officer at Benifex, reflected on this during the session:
“It’s really difficult to say no to a group of people who are really passionate about doing the right thing for their people.”

From imbalance to broader access

The changes that followed focused on making benefits easier to access and more relevant to a wider group of employees.

Over time, this led to a more balanced approach. Support was no longer concentrated in the same way, and more employees were able to engage with what was available, including those in frontline roles.

Employee feedback reflected that shift, with improvements in how people viewed the support available to them.

What this shows in practice

Bupa’s experience highlights a few important points.

Clear intent matters. So does the ability to explain why change is needed in a way that resonates beyond HR.

At the same time, evidence alone is not always enough. Bringing in the lived experience of employees can make the difference when building support for change.

As Sheryl emphasised: “The people story is absolutely the most critical point in all this.”

In this case, those stories helped move the conversation forward and ultimately supported a shift towards a more inclusive and effective benefits experience.

Missed the live masterclass? Catch up on the session here.