Four Communication Strategies for Relaying Info on Employee Benefits

The benefits package of a company is one of the reasons why an employee would want to stick around. Benefits can range from group insurance, retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement, daycare, sick leave, and paid vacation. However, it is interesting to note that not all employees are excited to read about memos or email messages about the benefits packaged offered by their respective firms.

According to a 2014 survey commissioned by Employee Benefits magazine, more than 60 percent of employers fail to communicate employee benefits to the rest of the organization.

This underlines the need for HR departments to revisit their communication strategies so that more employees will become aware of the benefits package offered by their companies.

Aside from increasing the employee engagement, communicating benefits to the workforce has its other advantages. One is that it can prevent employees from knocking on the door of the HR department, asking for information on benefits package at inopportune occasions.

By communicating your company’s benefit plans to the rest of the organization, you can help ensure that your colleagues understand what’s available to them. It can also lead to smart utilization of benefits offered by the company.

So how can your team better communicate the company’s benefits plan to the rest of the organization? Here are some HR communication strategies that you can adapt in your office:

1. Communicate all year-long.

One of the basic HR communication strategies when it comes to employee benefits is to tell your employees about all the benefits they can avail of at the start of the year. In coordination with the corporate communications group, establish a schedule that will detail how and when information about the benefits package is communicated to the rest of the organization.

Frequent communication not only ensures that that workers are aware of the plan, but also motivate them in participating in your firm’s wellness program.

2. Incorporate different messages.

There are different messages that can be incorporated in the HR communication program to increase employee awareness on benefits. One is to simply outline the available benefits, and briefly explain the details of each benefit.

Another is to explain how employees can make changes in their health plan coverage, or give answers to frequently-asked questions. HR can also educate the employees on how to use their benefits, and give tips for saving on health care costs.

3. Communicate changes right away.

If there are any changes to the benefit package of a company, HR and the corporate communications group should report it to the rest of the workforce immediately. It is also important for management, through the said units, to be honest and open about any reductions on benefits, if any. This will have a big effect on how employees perceive changes in the firm’s benefits program.

4. Use different communication channels.

One of the best HR communication strategies in relaying info on a company’s benefit package is to use different communication channels. Internal company newsletter or even the Intranet can be tapped for this purpose.

Email isn’t exactly the best communication medium for informing the employees about the company’s benefits package. One reason is that email inbox of employees tend to be clogged all the time, so the workers would likely skip reading any memo about company benefits.

New communication tools like social media, video, and podcasts may serve as an alternative to email. The use of video tutorials can also be ideal for companies which have employees spread out geographically.

By following these four HR communication strategies, HR and the corporate communications group should be more successful in imparting to the employees everything they need to know about the benefits offered by the company.