Benefits

I was speaking with my uncle, catching up on life. In conversation, I told him about ICNU and our hopes to inspire churches, and he asked a simple but profound question. “What benefit are you offering them?” I began to explain some of the services we provide, and he interrupted me. “You keep talking about the how. I get that. But what’s the benefit? Why would pastors want to engage you? What benefit to you give them?”

I was ultimately able to answer him, but it got me thinking. I intuitively know that we do what we do specifically for the benefit of churches, but how do they know that? Why would they know that if I haven’t told them? I may know the benefits, but I need to talk about them. And often!

Benefits. This seems like such a simple term. Why, then, do we forget to talk about it?

We often reserve our use of the word benefits to conversations about health insurance or PTO for ourselves or our staff. So maybe that’s a great context to start rethinking this term.

We call these employee benefits because of what it provides to them. Paid time off from work. Health insurance to offset the costs of care. But what is the benefit? Why does it matter? With PTO, for example, an employee knows that they can use their time (a limited resource) at their own discretion without it affecting their ability to buy groceries. So the benefit is worry-free time with their family. Health insurance provides the benefit of peace of mind and the assurance that should a health crisis emerge in their lives, they will not be solely responsible for the enormity of the financial impact. That seems intuitive, right? Yet most employers couch their description of such benefits in terms of the transactional value the employee may receive rather than the inherent or perceived value being provided.

For example, “We offer two weeks’ paid vacation and five paid personal or sick days per year.” That implies limits and buckets, rather than freedom, choice, and peace. Consider this contrasting approach. “We will gladly pay you for fifteen work days to use at your personal discretion. Whether you’re sick and can’t make it to the office, or traveling with friends or family, or just need a break to get your thoughts together, we want you to rest assured that you’ll still get your normal paycheck. And if you find you need more than fifteen days this year, come talk to us. We value you and want to make sure that we are caring for you and your most valuable resource: your time.”

Sometimes I think we assume our audience knows the benefits of what we’re offering. In a surprising number of instances, though, they do not.

So why not point them out?