In response to the expanding remote workforce, it’s a good time to explore existing and new technologies to determine if and how these tools can improve your benefits communication strategy and enhance employee engagement.

There are so many options, but what’s trending – and succeeding – in today’s largely remote workforce are the following:

1. Benefits Website

A benefits website – whether it’s a microsite or a tab on your company intranet – is a one-stop shop for all of your benefits information that provides easy 24/7 access for employees and their dependents. Further, it can link out to all of your carriers and providers, streamlining the use experience. And, it can also be a valuable resource for recruiting and new hires.

2. Mobile App

Mobile is an excellent way to anchor your employee experience and reach them any time, any place. Consider the stats:

• 81% of Americans own a smartphone
• 1 in 5 are smartphone dependent, meaning they rely solely on their smartphone for internet access
• the average American adult spends almost three hours per day on their smartphone and 90% of that time is spent on apps
• 37% percent of respondents in a 2019 UHC survey said that they use a mobile app or the internet to comparison shop for health care.

A mobile app is another place, like a benefits website, where employees can find all of their benefits information, utilize benefits support-decision tools, and more. Even giving your employees the ability to easily and quickly access their insurance ID card instead of worrying if they brought their printed card to a doctor appointment is a huge bonus for them. Additionally, you can connect to your vendor partners through the app and vice versa, if desired.

For a checklist to determine where you need to strengthen your digital communication and education plan, click here.

3. Text

Again, the statistics show that texts are an excellent way to connect with your employees as they have very high engagement:

• 89% of messages are read
• 98% of text messages are opened within 3 minutes of being received, which is 8 times greater than the engagement rate of email

Texting is an excellent way to promote new initiatives and conduct benefits communication campaigns. But there are some best practices you should consider:

• Keep texts short and to the point
• Respect their inbox; only send relevant information at appropriate intervals
• Do not text after work hours
• Incorporate texts into your communication content calendar to ensure you are not texting too often
• Keep texts professional (even though it’s typically considered an informal channel)

Check out our 3-part webcast series, “Going Digital: The Secret to Impactful Employee Benefits Communication,” for strategies to ensure employees are educated, engaged and have access to important health care and benefits resources.

4. Videos

Videos are extremely helpful with the education portion of benefits communication as they're great at making complex, jargon-filled topics digestible, for example, a new consumer health plan or an HDHP. They are shown to be effective at capturing people's attention, even if it's for a short time. Research shows viewers have the highest engagement in the first minute, so the shorter the better.