In today’s diverse workforce, effective communication is essential for ensuring that employees understand and appreciate their benefits. As organizations adapt to changing demographics and technological advancements, tailoring communication strategies becomes crucial.
Explore key considerations and actionable steps to enhance employee benefits communication.
1. Know your audience
Consider your employee demographics and rethink your distribution channels of employee benefits communication.
- Gen Z (Digital Natives): Gen Z are “digital natives”, meaning they may have little to no memory of how things were prior to using smartphones. So, they may want to do everything online through their smartphones or tablets
- Millennials: Millennials value self-service options. They often check a company’s FAQs and prefer gathering information independently.
- Baby Boomers: While increasingly tech-savvy, Baby Boomers may still prefer paper copies of information.
Actionable Steps:
- Survey your employees to best identify their communication preferences and consider your technology options.
- Offer paperless options such as portals, text messages, and emails.
- Allow documents to be downloaded and printed directly from your portal for those who prefer paper.
2. Start from Day 1
Begin the benefits education process during onboarding and, better yet, ensure that benefit perks are clearly communicated during recruitment. Cover the basics and make policy information easily accessible on your company intranet, in your employee handbook, and in benefit training sessions.
3. Make employee benefits fun again
Engage employees by making benefits education enjoyable.
- Gamify Benefits Education: Consider gamifying the benefits education process. Develop quizzes or interactive games related to different benefits packages. Offer small incentives or rewards for participation.
- Leverage Visual Media: Create engaging visual media, such as short videos or animated clips, to significantly enhance benefits communications. These do not have to be fancy or a big production but, rather, something simple your employees can reference and remember.
4. Ongoing communication is key
Employee needs can and will evolve over time. Regular communication is essential.
- Town Halls: Use town hall meetings to allow employees to share real-life stories and experiences related to a specific benefit.
- Benefit Workshops: Organize periodic workshops to provide in-depth explanations about different aspects of your benefits packages. These workshops can cover topics like healthcare plans, retirement options, and wellness programs. Invite HR and benefits professionals or providers to answer questions directly and foster an interactive and informative environment.
- Awareness Months: Tie benefits education to certain awareness months (e.g. Mental Health Awareness month in May).
Effectively educating employees about their benefits strengthens their appreciation and engagement. By developing clear, personalized, and engaging communication strategies, your company can empower employees to make informed decisions. Invest in benefits education, and your organization will reap the rewards of a happier and more engaged workforce.
Learn how FINEOS can help your organization enhance employee benefits management.
Feel free to connect with author, Rachael Choate, Product Manager at FINEOS.
