Boost Benefits Utilization with a Great Employee Benefits Communication Plan

Annual enrollment might be the biggest moment on your benefits communication calendar but it shouldn’t be the only one. It’s often the default time of year for organizations to try to cover everything there is to know about employee benefits.

Tackling benefits education just once a year can be overwhelming. For employees, it’s like drinking from the firehose. For employers, it’s like the lightening round of a gameshow, with rapid fire questions coming from every direction.

It’s no wonder only about half of employees rate their employer’s health benefits communications highly, according to a recent Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) survey. Even fewer rate their employer’s communications about online benefits resources well. And ratings drop further for communications about mental health and work-life balance. Yikes.

Planning a year-round benefits communication strategy could change all that.

How year-round employee benefits education can boost utilization

If you’re looking to increase benefits utilization and engagement, the topic of benefits must be a year-round conversation with your employees. Whether you choose to communicate monthly, bi-monthly, or on a different cadence that works best for your organization, benefits education should be delivered on a regular basis. This educational content should cover a variety of common benefits topics and offer practical, easy-to-understand information and tips. You know your workforce best – offer content that matches their needs and interests.

Consistent communication encourages employee benefits engagement. By keeping employees informed about their benefits options, they’ll be more likely to use them and see their value. Plus, they may even save a little money along the way!

Another advantage of a year-round employee benefits communication strategy is that it streamlines annual enrollment. Engaged and informed employees are less likely to have questions or concerns during enrollment, simplifying the process for all.

A multi-channel communication strategy encourages benefits utilization

Communicating year-round is only half the battle. Remember, your communications are only effective if your message reaches your employees.

Any internal communication plan needs to meet employees where they are, making a multichannel strategy essential. Every employee population is a bit different, but your strategy could include:

• Company intranet
• Email and e-newsletter campaigns
• Breakroom bulletin boards
• In-person presentations and Q&As
• Webinars or online resources

Use these channels to share your benefits education resources. Implementing employee benefits communications best practices like these can help cut down on the confusion. And a lot of questions, too.

Help your workforce get benefits-savvy

Managing year-round benefits education can be a daunting task. There’s a calendar to plan, articles to write, emails to create, and multiple communication channels to manage. Doing it right can be a fulltime job. Thankfully, there are resources available to help you.

With bswift’s Benefits U, building out a year-round employee benefits education plan with topics important to your workforce is a cinch. You get informative articles designed to capture readers’ attention and provide user-friendly information focused on common benefits topics. You’ll free your team up to focus on more of the “human” aspects of HR. And, you’ll help your employees  engage better with their benefits.

Learn more about Benefits U