Employee benefits are an increasingly important component of today’s workplace, and employees need year-round benefits communication to ensure that they are informed about and stay engaged with their benefits. Employee benefits can help create a positive work environment and boost employee morale, loyalty, and retention rates when appropriately managed. However, it can be difficult to ensure that your team members are informed about the advantages they enjoy through their employer-provided benefits packages. One of the most effective ways to communicate these programs is by providing ongoing benefits communications throughout the year. In this blog post, we’ll explore 5 tips on how to deliver year-round benefits communications to ensure that employees remain informed and engaged with their benefit options.
The first step in improving benefits communication is clearly defining the benefits available to employees. Employees should be aware of all the benefits available to them, including health insurance, retirement savings plans, and paid time off. Providing employees with a comprehensive education on benefits is essential to the success of year-round benefits communications. If employees are aware of all of the benefits available, they can utilize them effectively. After the benefits have been defined, employees can receive more specific information on accessing and using them.
Another critical step is to communicate regularly with employees about their benefits. Employees should be kept up-to-date on any changes to their benefits, such as new coverage options or changes to eligibility requirements. Additionally, employers should provide employees with information on how to make the most of their benefits. This information can include resources on accessing their HSA, when to visit the ER or Urgent Care, how to file a claim, or where to find a provider.
Employers should utilize technology to improve benefits communication. As the number of Hybrid and Remote workplaces continues to rise, reaching employees has become more challenging. The use of digital platforms and resources has bridged this gap. Employers can use email, text messages, Slack, or social media to share information about benefits with employees. Additionally, there are software programs that manage employee benefits and help employees make the most of their coverage. Sharing your educational and informational resources on these channels can be highly beneficial as employees engage on these platforms more regularly.
When communicating your company’s year-round benefits, it is essential to keep the information simple and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that employees may not be familiar with. Instead, focus on explaining the plan’s key features and how they can benefit employees in the short and long term. This will reduce employee confusion and improve retention. In addition, benefits communications should be designed to capture employees’ attention and encourage them to take action. Some ways to make benefits communications more engaging include infographics, videos, and interactive content. Keep in mind, however, that employees want to spend less time looking over the information, so keep your communications short and sweet.
Finally, Employees want to avoid searching for information about their benefits. By putting all the relevant information in one place, whether on your company website or in a regularly checked communication channel, employees can refer back to the information whenever they need it. In addition, making these resources accessible on mobile and desktop devices is a huge win for employers and employees.
In conclusion, year-round benefits communication is essential and beneficial to ensure employee satisfaction and success. The 5 tips discussed above can help you develop a successful strategy, but there are other steps you can take such as offering an interesting, secure digital platform like Brite’s to communicate effectively with your work force. Additionally, providing resources that explain key elements of different types of benefits and how they are applicable to employees is another great way to improve your strategy. Furthermore encouraging open communication by creating a feedback loop is also important in order to better understand which benefits programs employees find most useful for their needs. Companies have much to gain when they apply effective strategies towards communicating their benefits year round. From engaging employees in unique ways, measuring the success of communications, maintaining transparency, continuously engaging with employees and customizing messages around specific needs, employers can make a real impact on increasing the employee experience. Take what you discovered today and put it into practice!
