Enhancing Employee Benefits at RBC

My Role
Service Designer

Challenge
The organization lacked clarity on how its offerings compared to competitors and whether they effectively addressed employee expectations
.

Project timeline
2 months

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is one of the largest financial institutions in North America, offering a comprehensive range of banking, investment, and financial services.

Companies that invest in healthcare offerings are better positioned to attract skilled professionals who prioritize stability and long-term employment security.

Access to healthcare resources that meet people’s unique needs positively contribute to employee productivity, reduce employee turnover, and overall organizational success.

How do RBC’s medical benefits compare to market standards and identify opportunities for program improvement.

problem

In the U.S., medical benefits play a crucial role in attracting and retaining top talent. With healthcare costs continuing to rise, employees place significant value on comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs.

Competitive benefits can directly impact job satisfaction, reducing turnover and increasing employee loyalty.

process*

Understand

Learn about the current situation, gather and absorb through research.

Analyze

Process findings and identify insights.

Imagine

Put it all together and create solutions with others.

research

Market Competitiveness Analysis

Conducted a comparative study to benchmark RBC’s benefits against industry leaders and emerging trends.

Horizon Study

Explored future trends in employee benefits by considering various demographic shifts, significant technological advancements, and ongoing regulatory changes that may impact the workforce landscape.

Cross-Company Survey

Designed and distributed a survey to over 6,000 employees to collect quantitative data on benefit preferences and satisfaction levels.

User Interviews

Engaged with employees in meaningful discussions to gather qualitative insights into their unique experiences, specific pain points, and overall expectations regarding the various benefits offered by the company.

key insights

Most employees expressed a clear need for assistance in understanding the various aspects of their benefits.

While they genuinely appreciated having access to a range of coverage options, many of them felt that they were not utilizing their benefits to their fullest potential. This lack of understanding often left them feeling uncertain about how to make the most of the services available to them.

  • A key pain point was having to learn about their coverage during high-stress situations, such as when they urgently needed medical care.

  • Users found the support from insurance providers overly complex, leading many to pay more for out-of-network providers simply because they did not know how to find or access in-network resources.

key artifacts

Many insights were derived from this research and directly informed RBC’s HR leadership, guiding strategic decision-making and laying the groundwork for iterative improvements in employee benefits.

Journey Mapping

Visualized the end-to-end employee experience from getting hired to using their benefits for the first time.

Maps were designed to help identify critical moments that matter to celebrate and pain points to enhance.

Behavioural Archetypes

Developed 4 unique archetypes representing diverse employee needs and preferences to inform future benefit designs.