The One with John from Workday: Decluttering Benefits, Proving ROI, and the Truth About Data

Benefits are bloated. Data is broken. ROI is murky. But people still need support that works.In this episode of Friends with Benefits, we're joined by John Whitaker, Senior Director of International Benefits at Workday. From decluttering bloated benefit portfolios to the real reasons wellbeing ROI is so hard to prove, John brings a refreshingly honest view of what actually matters in the benefits space. We cover global cost pressures, benefit duplication, the data gaps still holding us back, and why sometimes the best employee experience is just making things work.Tune in for practical insights, hard truths, and a few benefit confessions you won't forget.Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & intro to John from Workday03:00 – Why having more benefits isn’t better 07:40 – Wellbeing fatigue & lack of results 12:00 – Budget ≠ impact 14:00 – Personalisation over standardisation 19:00 – Data gaps still hurt decision-making 23:00 – Admin vs. strategy 30:00 – The problem with proving ROI 33:00 – Living your values through benefits38:00 – Cutting costs without cutting care 40:00 – The value of simplification 42:00 – Benefit confession Be the first to know when new episodes drop! Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thanksben/