This year, Aon’s Global Benefits Trends Study heard from over 500 global benefits professionals, with the aim of gathering insights about their roles, responsibilities, and evolving priorities within multinational companies. Our study serves as a valuable resource for organisations seeking to navigate the complexities of global benefits management. By leveraging the insights and recommendations provided, businesses can unlock potential, drive sustainable growth, and create a better future for their company, employees, and the communities they serve.
2025 sees large shift in global benefits priorities
Focusing on strategic priorities, we found that:
- Ensuring efficient cost management is unsurprisingly the number one strategic priority across all segments, regions and most industries, rising from number three globally last year.
- Ensuring that employee benefits are highly valued, which did not appear in our top four in 2024, came in at number three this year. For “leading multinationals”*, this is the number one strategic priority.
- Rolling out global minimum standards ranked number four (not ranked in 2024), demonstrating that the commitment that multinationals indicated in the 2024 survey (i.e., to almost double the prevalence of minimum standards by 2026) is real.
*By “leading multinationals”, we are referring to companies that have a global benefits strategy that meets their objectives, a very effective governance framework, and access to comprehensive data in most countries.
Mixed commitment to wellbeing initiatives
In our Employee Sentiment Study, released earlier this year, we saw that while employees at multinational firms are 7 percent more likely to be extremely satisfied by their employee benefits and 22 percent more likely to feel very valued at work, they’ve also come to expect more from their employers in terms of compensation and benefits. This comes at a time when global benefits professionals are managing costs amidst global economic uncertainty, driving the need for innovative and cost-effective solutions.
It is pleasing to see that employers also share this sentiment, with 53 percent of our Global Benefits Trends Study respondents saying that employers should support employee wellbeing, while 37 percent of multinational companies are currently considering implementing wellbeing initiatives.
Global benefits strategies are expanding
The study showed that the level of companies reviewing their global strategy is rising, with 41 percent reviewing this annually now, up from 30 percent in 2024. In addition, while multinational companies are very clear on how a global benefits strategy will help them better compete and differentiate in the market, only 50 percent of companies have their global strategy documented and communicated appropriately – and this is more prevalent in larger organisations.
Define what value means to you and your employees
As a next step in your Global Benefits strategy, Aon recommends you consider what value means to you and your employees and how to best deliver this, taking the time to understand the programmes and offerings that are truly meaningful for your employees and their families. Explore other avenues to deliver value, including the potential to introduce benefit choice, pushing for global minimum standards, and promoting more inclusive benefits as just three of many options available.
You can access the full report here.
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This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document. This article has been compiled using information available to us up to 2025. Aon UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 00210725. Registered Office: The Aon Centre, The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall Street, London EC3V 4AN. Tel: 020 7623 5500.
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