Helping SME clients build employee benefits strategies that grow with their business
Hamish Ward, Telephone Account Manager for Group Protection at Aviva, explores how advisers can help SME clients build employee benefits strategies that reflect their current priorities, support workforce resilience and evolve alongside their business as it grows.
For many SME employers, supporting their people remains a priority. They want to attract and retain talented employees, help their workforce stay healthy and productive, and create a positive working environment. Yet when it comes to employee benefits, knowing where to start can often be the biggest challenge.
The latest Swiss Re Group Watch 2026 report paints a picture of a market defined by both opportunity and challenge. SMEs remain at the heart of the group risk market, accounting for around 91% of death benefit policies and 90% of long-term disability policies covering employers with fewer than 250 employees. At the same time, businesses continue to face cost pressures and are increasingly focused on productivity, workforce resilience and achieving value from every investment they make.
Taken together with the cost pressures facing many businesses, these findings highlight the importance of helping SME employers consider employee benefits in a way that reflects their priorities, workforce needs and available budget.
This is something I hear regularly when speaking with advisers who work with SME clients.
The good news is that it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing decision.
By helping clients develop a benefits strategy that can evolve over time, advisers can support meaningful progress today while creating a roadmap for the future.
Start with the business challenge, not the benefit
Employee benefits conversations often begin with products.
However, some of the most valuable discussions start much earlier by exploring the business challenges employers are trying to solve.
An employer that is struggling to recruit skilled staff may have very different priorities to one that is focused on retaining experienced employees or reducing the impact of long-term absence. Understanding those objectives can help shape more meaningful conversations about how benefits may support wider business goals.
Questions advisers may wish to explore include:
- What are your biggest people-related challenges today?
- Are recruitment or retention becoming more difficult?
- How is employee absence affecting the business?
- What are your plans for growth over the next few years?
- How would you like employees to describe your organisation as an employer?
By focusing on outcomes rather than products, advisers can help clients build a more strategic and sustainable approach.
Why a phased strategy can make sense
With many employers continuing to balance investment decisions against broader cost pressures, introducing a full suite of employee benefits may not always be practical.
That doesn't mean employers should delay taking action altogether.
A phased approach can help businesses prioritise what matters most today while creating flexibility for the future. Rather than viewing employee benefits as a single purchasing decision, advisers can help clients see them as an evolving part of their wider people strategy.
For example, a business might begin by introducing a benefit that addresses an immediate workforce challenge, before reviewing and expanding its approach as the organisation grows or priorities change.
Importantly, this approach can also help employers feel more confident about the decisions they're making. Rather than trying to implement everything at once, they can take manageable steps that support both their people and their business goals.
Building a roadmap for growth
One of the biggest opportunities for advisers is helping clients think beyond the next renewal or immediate requirement.
Many SMEs are still relatively early in their employee benefits journey. As businesses grow, workforce demographics change and business priorities evolve, the support employees value today may not be the same as the support they value in the future.
That's why creating a longer-term roadmap can be so valuable.
A roadmap doesn't need to be complex. It simply provides a framework for future conversations and helps employers understand how their benefits strategy could develop alongside their business.
Regular reviews allow advisers and employers to revisit priorities, evaluate changing workforce needs and identify opportunities to build on existing foundations.
In doing so, advisers can move from being seen as a provider of solutions to becoming a trusted partner in helping businesses achieve their people objectives.
Supporting workforce resilience
One of the clearest themes emerging across the SME market is the growing focus on workforce resilience.
Employers are increasingly thinking about productivity, employee wellbeing and how to support people before challenges become more significant. For SMEs, where the absence of even a single key employee can have a disproportionate impact, these considerations can be particularly important.
This creates an opportunity for advisers to help employers view employee benefits within the wider context of their people strategy.
When aligned to business objectives, employee benefits can contribute to attracting and retaining talent, supporting engagement and helping employees access support when they need it. The conversation becomes less about individual products and more about creating a workplace where people can thrive and contribute to business success.
Helping clients make progress
Not every SME employer will be ready to introduce a comprehensive employee benefits programme immediately.
Advisers can help clients identify an appropriate next step by considering their business objectives, workforce needs, available budget and existing arrangements.
A phased approach may allow an employer to address an immediate priority while retaining flexibility to review its strategy as the organisation and workforce evolve. Regular reviews can then help ensure employee benefits remain aligned with changing business objectives and workforce needs.
By focusing on business objectives, understanding workforce challenges and creating a realistic roadmap for growth, advisers can help employers make informed decisions that support both their people and their organisation.
Supporting SME clients at every stage of their journey
Every SME client is different. Whether they're considering employee benefits for the first time or looking to develop an existing proposition, having meaningful conversations about their goals and priorities can help shape the right strategy.
For additional guidance, explore our SME Group Protection Bite-size video series. Featuring practical insights from our specialists, the videos are designed to help advisers support SME clients through every stage of their employee benefits journey.
Source:
[1] Swiss Re Group Watch 2026, data as of full year 2025. Published April 2026
AUTHOR
Hamish Ward
Telephone Account Manager,
Group Protection, Aviva
SME support
Whether you're new to SME group protection or looking for fresh ideas, our bite-size video series provides practical guidance, expert insights and tips you can put into action straight away.