Communications: The missing link in employee benefits

Most companies work hard to craft a benefit package that their employees truly value, but all too often, their employees don’t take full advantage of even the best programs because they aren’t aware of them or don’t understand which options will benefit them or their family members. So, what's the disconnect?

Overworked benefits departments are so busy designing, negotiating, and administering programs that they are left with little energy for communicating their offerings to members. This helps to explain why the benefits guides, mailings, and other information sent to employees are often filled with industry jargon and administrative details. Making matters worse, HR teams often go quiet after open enrollment, communicating only to deliver program changes.

Result: Members are left confused about how to select the right plans and what to do when health-related situations arise.

A strategic approach to benefits communication

Alliant's view is that benefit communication must be as deliberate as benefit design. We’ve learned that an effective communication strategy has three overarching attributes:

• Goal-focused: Targeted to further the company’s benefits strategy
• Member-centric: Framed around the needs and interests of employees and their families
• Ubiquitous: in all member channels and always available

What it does not need to be is expensive. The purpose of the strategy is to deploy available resources in the most effective way possible.

Optimizing your messages for maximum impact

A strategic approach to benefit communication doesn’t need to be elaborate or time-consuming. Rather, the secret is to proactively invest communication-related resources where they will have the most impact. Key messages and campaigns should naturally flow from a company’s overall benefits strategy and reflect the composition of its employee base.

Large companies may have more elements to their campaigns and more customized creative, but small- and medium-sized firms can be just as strategic, using low-cost publishing tools to telegraph the most important information their members need.

Whatever the size of the organization, every communications plan must cover four areas:

1. Assess: Identify the needs

Start by evaluating the effectiveness of your previous communications, and look for areas where employees would benefit from additional guidance.

2. Prioritize: Select the core messages

Identify the two or three instances where providing information to members is most likely to further your overall benefit strategy.

3. Implement: Plan the schedule and workflow

Get a plan in place by creating a content schedule, choosing your communication channels and technologies, and establishing a workflow.

4. Evaluate: Measure results and adapt

After open enrollment, and regularly throughout the year, you’ll want to take the time to assess the effectiveness of your campaigns. If you’re not meeting your established communications goals, now is the time to consider how to adjust future campaigns to address the gaps.

"Employees just want their families to be healthy. You have to put yourself in their shoes to understand what keeps them up at night. Then you will be able to show them ways to navigate the system, how to advocate for themselves, and all the programs available to support them." - Amy Woods, VP, Communications Consultant, Alliant Employee Benefits

Download Alliant's Guide to Benefits Communications to learn how to develop a strategic communications plan, execute major campaigns like open enrollment, and determine the best overall approach for your organization.