Marsh McLennan Agency has long said it puts people first. Saying it and actually building systems around it are two different things. Here’s what the latter looks like.
MMA is the firm’s middle-market insurance and risk arm. It operates across a workforce large enough that “consistent employee experience” is a genuine logistics problem, not a tagline challenge. Their response was to rethink how benefits information, mental health support, and wellness programmes actually reach people doing the work.
SHRM documented the outcome: MMA improved productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees using digital tools.
Four areas, not one
Most corporate wellness programmes mean gym subsidies. MMA is structured around four distinct areas.
Physical health covers preventive care, chronic condition management, and disease prevention. Mental health includes access to Calm and Headspace, plus platforms connecting employees to counselling services. Financial wellbeing addresses retirement planning, debt management, and financial education through their Retirement Edge platform. Social well-being covers community-building and peer connection.
An employee dealing with financial stress gets the same quality of support as one dealing with anxiety. It doesn’t depend on which department you’re in or where you’re based.
The iNGAGED app
Before iNGAGED, employees had to dig through company websites or wait for annual enrollment meetings to understand their own benefits. MMA built a custom mobile app – available on iOS, Android, and desktop – that changed that.
Through the app, employees can access benefits information in real time, manage enrollment and payroll, connect to telehealth services, and receive direct communications from their employer. HR teams got a practical win too: time previously spent on paper-based processes and routine queries shifted to more useful work.
Surveys that feed back into the programme
MMA runs regular workplace surveys tied to specific corporate objectives. Score cards give HR leaders visibility into what’s working over time, which makes it possible to catch issues before they compound into something harder to fix.
On Glassdoor, Marsh McLennan holds a 3.9 out of 5 rating based on thousands of employee reviews. 76% of employees say they’d recommend working there to a friend – above the industry average for insurance and professional services firms.
EnrollSMART
Benefits confusion costs employers more than they realise. Research by Aflac found that 76% of employers think their staff understand their healthcare costs, while only 53% of employees feel the same way. That gap leads to underused benefits and, eventually, higher attrition.
MMA’s EnrollSMART gives every employee a one-on-one benefits consultation during open enrollment, at no cost to the organisation. Employees leave better informed, which is a fairly direct way to improve satisfaction.
The recognition numbers
In 2025, Marsh McLennan Agency’s Midwest Region ranked #1 on Fortune Best Workplaces in Chicago (Small and Medium), #2 on Fortune Best Workplaces for Women (Small and Medium), #5 on Fortune Best Workplaces for Parents (Small and Medium), and #12 on Fortune Best Medium Workplaces.
These rankings come from Trust Index surveys administered to employees by a third party – not submitted by the company itself. The data reflects what employees say, not what HR teams curate.
What leadership said
Dave Eslick, MMA’s Chairman and CEO, framed it directly: “When you look at well-being holistically and make it available broadly, there is real potential to impact not only your individual employees, but the health of your company overall.”
That kind of priority from a CEO changes what gets funded. Culture doesn’t come from policy documents.
What’s worth taking from this
A few things stand out from MMA’s approach.
Access matters as much as content. The iNGAGED app worked because it met employees on their phones, not a company intranet. Design for convenience and you get actual usage.
Surveys only build trust when they’re visibly acted on. Employees notice when feedback goes nowhere.
Third-party certification is more useful as a feedback loop than a trophy. It benchmarks culture against peers and surfaces gaps that internal teams can’t always see.
Addressing only physical health while ignoring financial stress or isolation doesn’t work. The four-area model exists because each area fails independently when neglected.
The tools MMA used – mobile apps, workplace surveys, personalised enrollment, multi-area wellness – aren’t unique to them. Most mid-to-large employers have access to similar things. What’s different is deciding that employee experience is a business outcome worth measuring and improving, not just mentioning in job postings.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, readers should verify information and seek professional advice as needed.
