How To Launch A Game-Changing Employee Benefits Communications Campaign
Did you know that how you communicate your benefits package is more important than the benefits package itself? It’s all about the perceived value. Your organization is already spending a tremendous amount of money on benefits, so you know how much value there is in the benefits you are providing to your employees. But, do they know?
Perception is reality. If you’re not continuously showcasing your benefits in the best light and effectively celebrating these benefits, your employees will not understand just how valuable their benefits are.
What does this mean? Your power to recruit and retain the best is on the line.
If employees don’t understand the value of their benefits, you quickly lose a competitive edge. That’s why it’s imperative to build an employee benefits communication campaign to effectively communicate how fantastic your benefits are.
Why Build a Communication Campaign for Employee Benefits?
It’s your job to ensure employees understand the value of their benefits. But, let’s face it. It’s easy for work to get in the way and steer us off course. You’ve got a lot going on! What’s needed is a strategic plan on how you will communicate your company’s benefits package.
Random emails, a few meetings here and there, rushed communications during Open Enrollment…this practice will not highlight your benefits in the best light. Plus, your employees could use a communications boost during the big Open Enrollment period. A recent study found that 1 in 4 employees feel that Open Enrollment is overwhelming and not very helpful. Yikes!
So, instead of being scattershot with your communications surrounding benefits, build a strategy with clear objectives. Then, you’ll be better able to not only wow your employees, but you’ll wow your leadership team as well!
There are many elements involved in strategically communicating your benefits to employees. The best thing to do is think of it as a “campaign.” Marketing teams use campaigns all the time. It helps to organize the content for a specific goal and provides a roadmap for execution. You too can create a campaign for employee benefits to get your employees’ attention and allow them to perceive their benefits as valuable as they truly are!
Key Elements of Your Employee Benefits Communications Campaign
Let’s hone in on the five key elements that will take your Employee Benefits Communications Campaign up a notch. First, ask yourself these questions about your current benefits communication…
Is it Visual?
Is it Relevant?
Is it Consistent?
Is it Convenient?
Is it Measurable?
Are your answers “no” to some or all of these questions? Not to worry! We’re here for ya! Let’s break down each one of these elements.
1. Visual
We are visual creatures. We like things that look nice. But what’s more important, we often place greater value on things that appeal to us aesthetically. If you’re rockin’ the same benefits design from 1999, it may be time for a refresh. Actually, it is time for a refresh! The way you design your benefits communications should attract employees’ attention. Discover what message you want your design to illustrate.
Is your message big and bold?
Is it calming and reassuring?
Is it fun and playful?
Remember, your benefits brand does not have to match your company’s brand. This is internal, so think about your employees and your culture. From there you’ll be able to create a design that appeals to your employees and gets them thinking, “Yeah, this is really cool stuff!”
2. Relevant
Communications will be more effective when you can make it a conversation.
Switch up your perspective when writing about your benefits.
Remove any and all jargon and tell a story.
Nurture your employees and really sell them on the idea of why these benefits are tremendous!
Overall, make sure your communications always answer the question, “Why should I care?”
This is so important to alleviate the stress that many employees feel when they are asked to decide on benefits. Nearly 50% of employees find making decisions about benefits very stressful. So, help them out! Be relevant with communication to put your employees in the best possible position to make decisions that affect themselves and their families.
When you focus on your employees’ exact needs and when you let go of the insurance jargon, you will see that your words quickly become a conversation and a story. It’s almost like you’re writing to a friend. Be relevant, not distant. This will deepen the connection with employees and truly make a difference in their comprehension of their benefits.
3. Consistent
Why do you think the greatest marketing campaigns are so effective? It’s because they repeat themselves over and over…and over again. If you feel like you’ve said too much, you’ve done it right! Benefits communication needs to be ongoing throughout the year. Benefits communication needs to talk about the same benefit, but in different ways hitting on different advantages or points.
Great benefits can oftentimes get lost in the shuffle of Open Enrollment or onboarding. Ongoing communication allows employees to repeatedly be reminded of their great benefits, and become great utilizers.
Check this out. A study on Open Enrollment found that employees who have a very positive enrollment experience are more confident in their benefits decisions. Therefore, they place a higher value on their benefits package and have a more favorable view of their employer. What an opportunity to increase employee engagement through more effective communication around benefits!
4. Convenient
Do you know the best way to communicate with employees? In your face, of course! Okay, we don’t really mean in their face, but you do need to meet employees where they are. Think about your employee population.
What’s the dominant generation?
How do they prefer to be communicated with?
Are your employees on-the-go and mostly utilize their phone?
Are your employees at a desk in front of a computer all day?
It’s important to learn their preferred way to consume information. Alternatively, use multiple mediums of communication to ensure that you’re inclusive of everyone depending on their generation and general preferences.
5. Measurable
Make sure you’re able to measure the impact of your communications. This allows you to pivot when necessary, show ROI and know what’s working vs what’s not working. When you think of measurable communications, think digital like email, text, video, apps, etc.
When you can receive data about the percentage of views, opens and more, you can get a better grasp of how effective your communication is, or what needs to change. Furthermore, you can link your metrics with your overall benefits enrollment goals.
Are you hitting your enrollment goals when it comes to HSA participation or retirement match? If not, maybe there is more communication needed there.
Are you getting a lot of the same questions over and over again about balance billing or qualifying life events? Perhaps there is room in your campaign for extra communication on these concepts, which also gives you the opportunity to answer these common questions in one place...digitally!
According to a study by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, 80% of employees don’t open or read their benefits materials, and almost half don't understand what they are reading. So, make it easier on your people through digital communication.
Look What Can Happen When You Go Digital!
Here’s what we found from the same study by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans about what happens when you do digital as part of your benefits communication campaign.
You become more efficient. Benefits enrollment is 23% more efficient when using digital solutions as opposed to paper-based solutions.
Employees get a better experience. When you make benefits easy, simple and enjoyable, employees will feel more confident in their benefits and thus, more confident in their employer. A digital benefits experience ultimately creates a 70% satisfaction rate, as opposed to 37% when the experience is mostly paper.
Employees understand their benefits better. 53% of employees rate communication as “very effective” in a digital experience. When the communication is paper-based, 34% of employees rate communication as “very effective.”
Employees have a higher perceived value of their benefits. 62% rate their benefits package value as high when you go digital, as opposed to 38% with paper communications.
Now that you’re armed with the best tips on how to create a game-changing employee benefits communications campaign, here’s our final recommendation. Embed our BeneBits™ bite-size, binge-worthy benefits videos into your campaign.
How can BeneBits™ benefits videos help?
Is it Visual? Yup! People remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, and 30% of what they see. Our animated videos make it easy for employees to receive, remember and recall.
Is it Relevant? Oh yeah! We don’t bother with the details that don’t impact or matter to employees. Our videos are straight to the point giving employees the need-to-know information to make smart benefits decisions.
Is it Consistent? Totally! You can easily create ongoing benefits communications by releasing different videos at different times of the year. Want to promote your wellness plan at the beginning of the year? You can do that. Want to promote your HSA offering right before open enrollment? You can do that. You’ll have a library of videos at your disposal to keep employees in the know all year long.
Is it Convenient? Sure is! We help you reach employees where they are. Our benefits videos integrate with your enrollment platform, Intranet, apps, mobile devices and more to ensure employees have easy access to their benefits videos.
Is it Measurable? You bet! Every month we send you viewing metrics that show the number of views, the percentage of content viewed and more. Annually, you receive a viewing report that gives you an overarching visual of how your employees are consuming the content so you can make smart, strategic decisions about the direction you want to take your benefits communications.
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