Employee benefits and open enrollment may be something you only think about a few times a year, and for your employees, it might be even less often. However, with a thoughtful, year-round communications plan, your business can increase employee engagement and smart benefits utilization.
Here are five keys to a successful benefits communication plan that will boost employee engagement year-round:
1. Have a goal in mind.
Your benefits communications must be driven by a clear goal. For example, your objective may be increasing participation in a certain plan or reducing employee questions during open enrollment. Once you've set well-defined goals, craft your messaging to achieve these goals in multiple ways.
2. Keep topics relevant.
Each message should be relevant to both your goals and to employees’ interests and needs. Employees will immediately want to know “what’s in it for me,” so keep that top of mind when developing your communications and be sure to stay on track.
To ensure your employees get the most of out of your benefits investment while preserving your bottom line, utilize our Benefits Communication Strategy Checklist.
3. Aim for brevity.
Get to the main point quickly. If your communications are long-winded, employees will likely tune out before they receive the pertinent information. The basic message formula should be:
- Pitch – “Here’s something you may not know about your benefits.”
- Why – “This is why it’s important/relevant to you.”
- Call to Action – “Here’s what you should do to learn more, enroll, take next steps, etc.”
4. Use multiple mediums.
Not everyone processes and retains information in the same way. Instead of sticking to one medium, be sure to vary your communication methods. Some options include mail-home flyers, emails, videos, a benefits microsite, and virtual presentations. The idea is to get your message out through every channel available to ensure you’re reaching the entirety of your audience.
In today's digital world, it may be necessary to leverage digital communications to better reach your workforce. For tips and tricks on how to cut through the clutter and effectively connect with employees, check out this on-demand webinar.
5. Set up a communications calendar.
Having communications that are goal-oriented, relevant, and multi-channeled is essential, but you must also be intentional about when you communicate in order to maximize attention and engagement. Establish a year-round communications calendar that takes into consideration key dates and employee preferences and spaces out your messaging to prevent messaging fatigue and disinterest.
For more detailed information on this topic or if you’d like assistance developing an effective, year-round benefits communication strategy, connect with a member of our employee communications team today.