Open enrollment is a critical time for companies to communicate their benefits to employees. Yet, even great benefits don’t just speak for themselves. Read which five communications mistakes to avoid during this time to ensure your benefits are understood by employees, leading to more happiness and better retention.
1. Don’t pass out one giant packet of information or use an outdated PowerPoint.
Many companies default to handing out a single, large packet of information, believed to cover all of their benefits education. Other companies reuse the same (slightly tweaked) PowerPoint year over year. Neither tactic is effective at ensuring that your employees actually understand the options available to them.
Instead, try using mix media: send emails, use short videos, and create easy-to-read infographics, for example. Ensure that your collateral is scannable and can be consumer how your employees prefer (and we don’t know anyone who prefers hundreds of pages of information).
2. Don’t use jargon-y language
Put yourself in the shoes of employees at your company; HR isn’t their full-time job (well most of them, that is). 9 out of 10 American employees to not have a good understanding of benefits and benefit terms. Keep things simple and clear, consider visually showcasing and articulating your benefits. Simple language doesn’t mean a dumbed-down version, you should be able to say all the things you need in words and images that everyone can understand.
3. Don’t forget your best asset
Just as we talked about mixed media, don’t forget to utilize the best asset you have: your employees! How about asking a few people in different situations to talk about which health plan they chose and why? Or what about having a few employees give testimonials about benefits they used in the last year that aren’t commonly utilized? Story telling is a powerful tool for understanding, don’t forget that as you present out your benefits.
4. Don’t forget to clearly point out differences from last year
While many organizations aren’t making significant changes to their benefits due to the pandemic, it’s entirely possible you are. Many employees will simply enroll in the same plan as the following year if they don’t know things have changed. Help your employees truly understand if there are differences from the past year, so there are no surprises and unhappiness later on.
5. Don’t assume open enrollment is your one chance
Remember that open enrollment is a critical time, but don’t assume it’s the only time employees care about their benefits; they are making decisions year-round. Communicate benefits often throughout the year to meet employee needs and wants. Reminding your employees that their benefits are there to help, can drive better participation and overall all better ROI. It’s also a great way to consistently remind employees of all the total rewards your company offers.
Are your benefits communications missing the mark?
Do you look at this list and recognize mistakes that your company is making? We’re here to help! LearnYour Benefits is an online employee benefits communications platform. Our suite of video-focused features enables frequent, higher levels of engagement to encourage year-round employee learning and action. We’re your knowledge support tool.
We do the heavy lifting, from open enrollment, to onboarding to all points in between, so you can communicate accurate benefits plan messaging any time of the year – when and where it’s convenient for your employees. For more information on how we can stand up a customized site for your company in time for THIS season, request a demo today.
