Maximizing Employee Benefits: Strategies for Effective Communication

Employers know employee benefits are important. 80% of employers think benefits increase productivity, and 78% think benefits increase loyalty. Employees want the total compensation package, which includes salary, company culture, and benefits.

Since employee benefits are such a major investment, it’s crucial to have a plan in place that ensures employees are getting the most out of their benefits package.

Create and execute a strategy

A strategy is more than saying, “We need to communicate about employee benefits.” Start by outlining what you want to accomplish. This includes defining your goals, audience, and what data you’ll use to measure your success. Part of executing a strategy is thinking like an employee. Step into their shoes—do they have to navigate multiple platforms to access their benefits? Are they required to remember several passwords? When communicating benefits, a sound strategy will get you on the right foot.

Make it an ongoing conversation

You want to discuss benefits during recruitment and onboarding, but don’t let that be the only time you talk about it. Make it an ongoing conversation by:

• Setting a communication cadence. For instance, meeting once a year, quarterly, or monthly.
• Making the meetings asynchronous so people in different time zones can get what they need at the time they need it.
• Brainstorming creative ways to communicate, such as infographics, a Slack channel, or incorporating a texting strategy.

Customize your messaging methods

There is no one-size-fits-all method of communicating. Across generations:

• Generation Z prefers communication through social media and phone apps.
• Millennials like getting texts, emails, or Slack messages.
• Boomers appreciate in-person meetings or phone calls.

These are generalizations, of course. The best way to learn how they like to receive messages? Ask them.

Make information easy to access and understand

If your team has to play detective to search for benefits information, you’re missing out on your ROI. The easier it is to use, the more your employees will take advantage of their benefits. To ensure accessibility, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can employees easily find all the information in one central location?
• What’s the most user-friendly way for employees to view and manage their benefits?
• Is the wording in our documents straightforward, with key terms like premium, out-of-pocket, and copay clearly defined?
• Do you have employees who prefer to speak another language?

Facilitating easy access to benefits information enhances employee engagement and ensures they have the information they need when they need it, making the promotion of benefits more effective.

Get feedback

Employers can suss out the hits and misses in their benefits package implementation strategy by seeking feedback through both structured and casual approaches. You can conduct a survey, observe data, or hold one-on-one meetings. Use and implement the feedback to help make your benefits program and how you talk about it better.

Ask for help when needed

Benefits and communicating about them is a significant endeavor. Don’t feel like you have to go at it alone. Ask for help from a trusted advisor or a partner with a vested interest in the success of your benefits. With help and employee feedback, your benefits program will be put to good use.