How to Transform Your Global Benefits Strategy

Flexibility, mental health, and financial support benefits rank among employees’ top-wanted benefits. Does your benefits strategy align with the expectations of today’s talent market? 

A well-thought-out global benefits strategy is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a necessity for driving real results for your organization, from happier and healthier employees to a more productive organization.  

But transforming your benefits strategy to align with your workforce’s needs doesn’t happen overnight, especially when you’re operating at a national or even a global scale. But with the right technology, partners, and insights at hand, this monumental task can become a reality. 

Here’s how Microsoft, a global employer and Businessolver client, worked with their technology partners to use technology, feedback, and insights, to meet the needs of their diverse workforce where they’re at, no matter what time zone. 

How technology makes your benefits strategy more powerful 

“We want to enable our employees to be productive and supported, not spending time trying to track down suppliers or send in forms or fill out an Excel file just to access their benefits. So, there was a challenge around how do we build capability and self-service back into our employees? How do we give time back into our employees? How do give them more visibility into their benefits? And then how do we reduce the amount of risk we have in the system? The need to transform our global approach really just came out of grassroots teams needing a better way to connect people with their benefits across the globe.” – Samantha Sergent, Director of International Benefits at Microsoft 

Technology became a game-changer in streamlining Microsoft’s benefits administration and delivering a people-first experience. Before their transformation, many aspects of the benefits program were managed using local systems, spreadsheets, and emails—an approach that worked at a small scale but wasn’t as effective on a global scale. 

Microsoft’s pivot to a centralized, tech-driven benefits strategy helped them achieve more efficiencies and results from their benefits program:  

• Improved visibility and access. Moving to a centralized platform made it much easier for employees to find the benefits available to them in their region. By moving the entire benefits experience into one system, employees now only need to log in once to have access to all of their benefits. 

• More insights into their programming and company culture at a global scale. A single benefits platform provided Microsoft with insights into employee engagement and needs. This allowed them to personalize benefits at a local level while still staying aligned at a global scale. 

• Way more administrative efficiencies for HR. Before implementing a global benefits administration technology, Microsoft was manually processing 12,000 spreadsheets and inputting over one million data points annually. The risk of errors and inefficiencies was enormous. Today, their technology system ensures accurate, real-time updates, saving both time and headaches. 

How Microsoft brought their global benefits strategy to life 

Rolling out a global benefits strategy might sound overwhelming, but Microsoft’s experience shows it’s possible—with the right mindset and tools. Here are a few actionable steps to get started:  

1. Start Small—but Start 

Microsoft’s approach began by taking stock of the basics. Who were they serving? What benefits were already in place? What gaps—and opportunities—existed? By piecing together a detailed picture, they could make informed decisions about where to go next. 

Even if your organization doesn’t have the resources of a tech giant, you can take the same first step by examining current benefit offerings and gathering feedback from employees. 

2. Define Your Strategy’s Purpose 

What do you want your benefits program to accomplish? Improved health and wellness? Better retention? At Microsoft, the goal was to deliver consistent, scalable, yet localized support worldwide. Having this “true north” helped align decisions across regions. 

3. Tackle Cultural and Regional Nuances Head-On 

This is where the complexity lies. Laws, tax systems, and cultures vary greatly. For example, in India, Microsoft had to adapt policies for extended family medical coverage, while in Saudi Arabia, they conformed to stringent guidelines defining dependents. The right partners can help you understand and address these nuances. 

4. Focus on Employee Experience 

If employees don’t feel the experience is seamless, they’ll tune out. Whether it’s someone transferring from Seattle to Singapore or navigating flexible work policies, every interaction with the benefits system should feel familiar and easy. At Microsoft, this was a major focus—and a lesson learned firsthand when their own team faced challenges navigating global benefit systems after relocations. 

5. Measure, Iterate, and Improve 

Building a successful strategy is not a one-time Project Plan; it’s a continuous process. For Microsoft, this included piloting new programs, gathering feedback, and adjusting for local relevancy as new needs emerged. 

Microsoft Made the Complex Simple with the Right Partners 

Managing global benefits isn’t easy. From legal differences to cultural nuances, the complexity is staggering. But as companies like Microsoft have shown, technology, transparency, and a well-defined vision can turn an overwhelming puzzle into an opportunity. 

The end game isn’t just to “check the box” for employee benefits—it’s to create meaningful experiences that help employees feel valued wherever they live and work. 

By taking small, intentional steps and seeking the right partners, you too can build a stronger, smarter global benefits strategy. The result isn’t just better benefits but better business, too. Because happy employees lead to healthier cultures and more innovation—no matter what time zone you’re sitting in. 

Ready to make the change to a better benefits administration strategy? Let’s talk.