ADP recently hosted more than 1,200 HR thought leaders anddecision makers for our annual ADP Meeting of the Mindsconference.

Related: Quality of benefits packages affects companyreputation

HR leaders are eager to learn how other companies are thinkingabout benefits as a strategic asset in attracting and retainingtalent, and what benefits are trending and looming.

The conference's conversation focused on human capitalmanagement (HCM) issues which are top of mind for HR leaders. Eachyear, we've noticed an increasing interest in topics that involvehow companies are leveraging employee benefits in the “war fortalent.”

Here are six of the hottest trends discussed at theconference.

The not-so-secret weapon in the war for talent

Four out of five employees say that their benefits are acritical reason for staying with their employer, according to theGuardian's 2015 Workplace Benefits Study. With fiercercompetition for talent, companies need to bring their benefitsA-game and do everything they can to differentiate themselves usingbenefits offerings as a way to attract and retain talent.

Related: The benefits employees change jobsfor

The marketing is as important as the benefits themselves

You might have the best benefits package in the industry, butwhat if nobody knows about it? Your employees have to know what youoffer and what's in it for them.

People remember 80 percent of what they see and do, only 20percent of what they read, and only 10 percent of what theyhear.

Companies are taking a multipronged approach to marketing theirbenefits utilizing video, infographics, mobile, gamification and“explainimation” (animations that explain) to get creative withmessaging to keep employees engaged in their benefits decisions.

Thinking outside the traditional benefits box

Netflix attracted a lot of media attention —and prospective employee attention — when they announced they wereoffering an enhanced benefit: 12 months of paid parental leave toemployees.

Related: Paid family, medical leave rising insupport

Starbucks followed soon after when they madetheir own employee friendly benefits move – announcing thatbaristas could be entitled to tuition reimbursement. Supplementalbenefits that go beyond health care are becoming more and moreimportant and different benefits packages appeal to differentgroups of employees.

The 2016 American Student Assistance “Life Delayed”Survey found that 76 percent of college graduates say that, allthings being equal, their decision to take a job could depend on anemployer's willingness to offer a student loan repayment program.Other employers are getting even more creative.

The shopping startup Boxed Wholesale will pay up to $20,000towards the wedding of any full-time employee. BitSol Solutions inManchester, England, is offering what they call “paw-ternityleave,” paid time-off for new dog parents.

Chatrooms replacing exam rooms?

Imagine getting a medical diagnosis by just logging on to yourcomputer or tablet. No, not just WebMD, but rather, theincreasingly popular trend of telemedicine.

Related: Telehealth benefits: Should brokers join themovement

This is where doctors can consult with patients virtually,diagnosing issues via video call. Biometric wearable technologiesare making these “visits” even more efficient. VitalConnect is awearable health patch that monitors a patient's biometric data andremotely provides it to the physician.

Whenever a patient checks-in for a virtual visit, his or herhealth data is there for the doctor to see. The 2016 Mercer National Survey of EmployerSponsored Health Plans found that 44 percent of employers withmore than 20,000 employees are considering offering telemedicaloptions.

Data transparency clarifies benefit options

Everyone knows how big data is helping people make betterdecisions in their daily online shopping lives, but now watch thoseconcepts take shape in the world of employee benefits.

Related: Battling big data: How brokers can compete with AIand automation

A well organized and robust data set can help form opinions,create conversations that matter and predict benefits needs onbehalf of employees, helping them make smarter benefits choices.Data analytics can tell your employees whether they should pick ahigh-deductible health insurance plan or if they should stick to apreferred provider organization (PPO).

It can also provide them with insight on what “people like them”have chosen. Further, if an employee knows he needs knee surgery inthe coming year, the technology can recommend doctors based on zipcode and insurance plan, show the doctors' ratings, and explainwhat out-of-pocket cost will be for the procedure.

“Hey, Alexa. Tell me about my health care options.”

Virtual assistants like Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa have becomehousehold names. At ADP Meeting of the Minds, Roberto Masiero,senior vice president of ADP Innovation Labs, demonstrated live onstage how voice command technology will become your new personalbenefits assistant.

Related: The future of health benefitstechnologies

The technology uses the concepts of “mass personalization” toenhance the benefits shopping experience. Instead of massenrollment emails, voice command technology can approach eachemployee at the ideal time and push a prompt to them, “Benefitsenrollment season is coming up. Would you like me to tell you aboutyour options?”

Benefits are back. They are vital to the wellbeing of yourcurrent workforce, but they also speak to the culture, thereputation and the employment brand of your company.

The HR thought leaders we met at ADP Meeting of the Minds areexcited about how innovations such as machine learning and dataanalytics are being used for benefits to engage and retain talent.They might just be the difference that brings in your next newhire.