How to craft an effective communication strategy

Do you send your employees everything they need to know about their benefits, but it feels like many of them are unprepared for enrollment and don’t know how to utilize their benefits after signing up?

It’s frustrating when you invest a great deal in your benefits only for your employees to seem clueless about them, but the truth is your employees probably aren’t the problem. The issue likely lies with your communication strategy (or lack thereof).

Sending out a mass email about benefits once a year is kind of like throwing spaghetti at a wall: You just hope some of it sticks. Instead, your benefits are something that deserve more thoughtful communication.

Here’s how to craft an effective communication strategy that will help you meet your goals for your benefits program.

Communicate with employees in the way that works best for them

Have you considered what delivery channel works best when it comes to communicating with your employees about their benefits? Sending emails is easy and works well for some organizations, but it’s not the best choice for workplaces where there are employees who don’t have easy access to technology. In addition, in a survey of 1,061 employees, we found that less than half (49%) of workers say emails are helpful.

Whether you communicate with your employees online or face-to-face, or via print materials, text messages, webinars, voice broadcasts, or videos, it’s important to reach employees where and when they’re available. In addition, communications should be available in employees’ preferred languages.

In many cases, a multi-layer strategy that involves multiple forms of communication is best for effectively reaching employees.

Communicate via different people in your organization

Benefits communications shouldn’t just come from HR or from nameless company accounts. They should also come from high-ranking leaders at your organization. This helps employees take notice of communications and creates a sense of urgency among employees to be engaged in the benefits process.

Prepare employees to take action before open enrollment

Choosing benefits is one of the most complicated and expensive decisions your employees will make all year, and you want them to be prepared. Sending your employees customized communications delivered on a coordinated timeline leading up to enrollment will help improve their experience, ensure they’re prepared, and boost their satisfaction with their benefits.

Stay in touch all year to improve understanding of health care and benefits

One of the biggest mistakes companies make is only communicating about benefits once a year for open enrollment. Instead, communication about benefits should be a proactive, year-round endeavor. Ongoing communication that educates employees about health care and their benefits will help employees better utilize and value their benefits.

Related: Helping employees understand their health plans

Utilize external benefits communication expertise

Benefits communication is important, but it also may feel like an overwhelming load for HR teams. That’s why many organizations choose to call on benefits communication experts like Optavise to help. We can take on the burden of improving the effectiveness of benefits communications with expert planning, development, and execution of benefits communications. This saves HR teams time while driving benefits engagement and ensuring compliance.

Want more? Check out our blog, The broker’s role in communications strategy.

Optavise is your benefits partner
Optavise is a trusted partner, guiding employers and their employees through healthcare choices including voluntary benefits, benefits administration, and year-round advocacy services that reduce costs and increase benefits engagement.