Benefit communications to engage employees' unique needs

Since the global upheaval brought about by the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis, employees are focusing on work benefits.

The employee benefit landscape has endured seismic changes in recent years following global events.

The pandemic revolutionised the way we work while the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact our financial wellbeing.

What’s important to your workforce now is probably very different to just a few years ago, with benefits playing a big part in the overall employee journey.

Your workforce will likely span various demographics from Generation X (those born between 1961 and 1980) to Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), each with their own communication preferences.

And age is only one aspect of a diverse workforce – location, ability, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, religious beliefs and education, all have a part to play.

So, when it comes to communicating the range of benefits you offer, a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t cut it. Instead, you’ll need a carefully designed strategy built with your people and their unique needs in mind.

Here are my five top tips to create a buzz around benefits:

1. Know your people

You might decide to reach out to people through a short survey or focus group to capture real feedback.

A survey can be short and quick to complete and will show your workforce you care about their opinions.

Perhaps you’re using the wrong channel, or targeting people at the wrong time? Asking your people will provide insight into what is and isn’t currently working.

You should also consider when to approach your people for feedback.

For example, if you’re communicating with factory workers who work on a production line, a good time to target them might be during their mid-morning coffee break.

2. Decide on the right channels

Once you’ve analyzed the data, you’ll be able to decide on the best channels to use.

Depending on your industry and workforce patterns, you might need to opt for a combination of online and offline communications.

Posters might work better for workers on a shop floor over an email nudge, while digital communications might suit some generations better than others.

3. Be creative

Bring your benefits offering to life through mini case studies of people at similar life stages and tailor them to your own workforce demographics.

It can help individuals see what benefits like-minded people are exploring and making the most of.

For example, workers in their twenties might be less interested in life assurance and so for this case study, you could focus your efforts on another benefit such as holiday trading instead.

Consider running sessions with your benefits provider giving people the opportunity to find out more and ask questions.

4. Tailor your communications

The more personal your communications, the better.

Including a person’s preferred name in your communication will instantly make it feel more personal and engaging.

And providing figures tailored to individuals in reward statements and pension illustrations for example, helps better prepare them when it comes to making important financial decisions.

Consider also the time of year you’re promoting certain benefits.

Focus on holiday trading and travel insurance in December or January (if your benefit platform allows) when it’s a popular time for people to book holidays.

If you ran a survey earlier in the year to capture people’s journey into work, consider who might be interested in the cycle to work scheme.

5. Make them accessible and inclusive

Be prepared to adapt the content of your communications to suit the needs of your various audiences.

Don’t assume your people already know about the range of benefits on offer to them.

Signpost to a central benefits information page clearly and make sure it’s easy to find.

Don’t forget to check back

To follow up, don’t forget to check how your communications are landing.
Where you can, run tests before they go out and put benchmarks in place to measure your success.
Keep an eye on email open and click through rates as well as uptake in your benefits and think about running a follow-up survey to ask people for their thoughts on your most recent campaign.

After all, engaging with your people doesn’t have a full stop, so be prepared to go on a continuous journey of improvement with them in mind.