Global HR Challenges in 2025: Why Multinational Pooling Is More Relevant Than Ever

HR professionals across the globe are facing an uphill battle when it comes to managing employee benefits. According to Insurope’s Global Employee Benefits and Multinational Pooling Market Report, high costs (45%) rank as the number one challenge, followed closely by administrative complexity (38%) and limited options (35%). Beyond these, HR leaders are also grappling with low employee engagement, gaps in coverage, a need for flexibility, and underwhelming customer service.

The pattern is clear: benefits are becoming more expensive, more complicated, and less aligned with employee expectations.

That’s where multinational pooling makes a real difference. By consolidating employee benefit risks across countries and partners, pooling helps companies achieve several critical outcomes:

• Cost control: multinational pooling delivers financial efficiencies that help offset rising premiums.
• Streamlined administration: it reduces the complexity of managing benefits across multiple regions and providers.
• Greater flexibility: multinational pooling enables companies to work with local insurers that understand their local markets and create flexible programs that meet the needs of employees, wherever they are.
• Better service: Insurope works with the top insurers across the globe who prioritize world-class products and services.

Simply put, pooling creates space for HR leaders to focus on planning and priorities instead of having to navigate through fragmented processes.

And this isn’t just theory. Data from SHRM’s 2025 Employee Benefits Survey reinforces the urgency. The survey found that 88% of U.S. employers now rate health-related benefits as very or extremely important. It also cited flexible work benefits (68%), family care (67%), and professional development (65%) as categories that were increasing in importance. This data underscores a shift toward benefits that do more than just exist—they must be responsive, equitable, and aligned with evolving employee needs.

Multinational pooling is a risk management tool that helps companies deliver the benefits that matter most by easing cost pressures and simplifying administration. Instead, multinational pooling frees HR teams to invest in programs that truly enhance employee engagement and wellbeing.

That’s why multinational pooling continues to be a cornerstone for forward-thinking global employers, and why Insurope is proud to lead the way.