How do you create and deliver effective employee benefits education and communication campaigns?

Most employees are not healthcare experts. Heck most people anywhere can't say they understand the American healthcare system. So, since it's fair to say that your audience holds novice status when being taught about their health plan, it's also fair to say you need to start from the fundamentals and then build from there. The best speakers on this subject use stories to influence their audience. Stories help people relate and when the story has an emotional tie the audience will remember the point you're trying to make for a lifetime. Need to illicit a specific outcome? Ask for help. Really. Say to your audience, "I need your help". Nine times out of ten they will do everything they can to help you or help with the common goal.

One thing I've found helpful is to use surveys to assess their understanding and needs regarding benefits. This understanding will help tailor the communication to be relevant and effective.

Remember, most employees don't know how the American healthcare system works. So, you must put yourselves in their shoes and teach them what they don't know. Frankly, a small fraction of the American population knows how the healthcare sausage is made. You have the pull back the curtains and not be afraid to tell the truth, even if the truth hurts. Sometimes that means you have to be honest and vulnerable. You might have to admit that your healthcare plan is a work in progress, and that's OK. Most employees understand when their employer is trying to make a difference. Sometimes it takes time to craft a high-performing health plan. Lastly, I suggest using as much video as possible to reiterate what the text says. Video resonates.

Merely inquiring about whether someone desires a particular benefit isn't an effective method for understanding your audience or addressing their needs. Without clarifying the benefit in a manner that resonates with them and demonstrates how it can positively influence their lives, a simple "no" may be the response. While asking straightforward questions might give the impression of engagement, it falls short of truly understanding your employees' needs, desires, and challenges. Genuine concern for your employees arises from comprehending these aspects. Crafting a benefits package that enhances their lifestyle contributes to a workplace environment where employees genuinely enjoy their time.

Per a macro survey by Forbes.com, 56% of Employees responded as “completely lost” in their understanding of Health Insurance terms and applications. We have taken an approach deliver the info as a "small dose" that the employees will accept "digest":) We use zoom recordings, emails, and now Texting pieces of info throughout the year

If you have a 401(k) plan in place as one of your benefits, ask your financial advisor about the plan score. Plans that submit a 5500 have a score about how effective they are relative to similar sized companies in the same geographical area in the same industry. Think of it like a credit score. SMART goals can be made around increasing the score, participation percentages, contribution amounts and more. If your advisor has no idea about how to find the score, find one who can help out with it.

How we like to measure succes is by using metrics like email open rates, webinar attendance, and intranet page views to evaluate engagement levels. Conducting follow-up surveys to assess the increase in knowledge and satisfaction among employees. These metrics are crucial for understanding the impact of your communication efforts and identifying areas for improvement.

Meet them where they are. Knowing your population and building a multi-faceted campaign based on how they and their spouses best absorb knowledge is the starting point. With healthcare plans, include a one-on-one nurse concierge model to externally triage and support members through their more serious health situations. It's a radical improvement from what our current US healthcare system is providing.

This is an important consideration. If you try to communicate with employees behind digital barriers, you're wasting your time. You must make it easy with two clicks or taps to get to the information they need. If you're trying to teach employees new concepts you'd better be creating videos. If an employee is going to learn something new, consider giving them some kind of credit or incentive for it. This is certainly applicable to learning the ins and outs of their employee benefits plan. Think about it like this -- if your benefits plan is meant to attract/retain quality talent then it's in your best interests to make it exciting and worth their while. The more they learn about their benefits the longer they'll work for you.

In 2023 we experimented with an enterprise "texting solution" our team uploads a single message that is sent to all members of the client. (of course anyone can opt out at anytime) This medium has increased the attendance level at open enrollment. With the clients permission, we formulated an extensive campaign around Open Enrollment attendance that includes texting the week of, day of and one hour before the webinar. Results : increased attendance on the low end of 22% to 47%!

Effective communication channels and formats play a crucial role in achieving success. If a culturally aligned benefit has a mere 2% enrollment rate, it signifies a lack of success. However, when partners supply the appropriate tools and result in an 80% enrollment in additional benefits, it becomes evident that a positive impact has been made in the lives of employees. Moreover, when your offering includes professional training for your employees at no cost to your organization, it further enhances the overall value provided.

A friend highlighted the value of "multiple entry points" for delivering messages, catering to various learning styles and contexts, like time availability and location. This approach fosters diverse and inclusive communication. For instance, post-Covid, the rise in virtual care has been remarkable. It's beneficial to not only identify the types of needs met by virtual health but also to emphasise the advantages for employees, such as convenience and supporting care responsibilities. This makes the information more relevant and understandable.

You should establish a feedback loop, using collected data and employee feedback to continuously refine and improve your communication strategy. This iterative process ensures that the campaign remains effective and responsive to the evolving needs of the workforce.

Effective benefits communication underscores the impact of data-driven health programs on employee well-being and cost management. Highlight predictive modeling and personalized healthcare strategies that balance quality and affordability. Use simple language, visuals, and real-world examples to illustrate benefits. Encourage engagement with clear calls to action, showing how these innovative solutions support employees' health and financial security

As a boutique broker, over the last two decades we have found tremendous success by anchoring to a "cheerleader(s)" in the company. That maybe HR, HR assistant, controller, etc... We have found email open rates and attendance uptick when they are sent internally from a company leader than our team members.

Engaging stakeholders and influencers is key to amplifying benefits communication. Identify and collaborate with internal and external allies, such as senior finance leaders, HR, and consultants. Communicate clearly, provide necessary resources, and leverage their networks to enhance message reach and impact. By fostering a collaborative environment and utilizing their expertise, your benefits communication strategy becomes more effective and resonant, ensuring your objectives are met with collective support and advocacy.

Many times in the past, we will conduct a short interview with the owner of the business or head of HR and record it. We have them talk about the upcoming open enrollment, why they made the decisions they did and explain that every employee is valued at the company. We will then take those videos and post them on the company intranet, as well as in the employers enrollment platform. All employees will see the message from the owner and will feel like the owner has taken a hard look at the benefits they offer and put time and money into them. It also helps build trust with employees getting that quick "touch" with every single employee at the company.

If you think you have communicated your benefits package to your employees enough, you are wrong. You have not. Regardless of what channel of communication you use you MUST OVERCOMMUNICATE what the packages are. Why? Because people say they care about their benefits, and they do, but figuring them out is a different story as they are confusing most of the time and they are not experts in how they work. OVERCOMMUNICATE!!!!!

Our firm creates "custom-miro-websites" for each of our clients, that host plan information only for their company and team. In addition, we place QR Codes on our power points so employees can scan and save on their phones as a icon for reference anytime.

There are a couple of unique ways that we have found to engage with plan participants and provide broad financial education: 1) We post/email a new blog every week covering some aspect of financial planning, recent legislation, or broad financial terminology. 2) All employees have access to our online course, "Financial Planning Basics". The course is 10 videos in total spanning 8 modules and about 2 hours of total content. The course is designed to appeal to both those with very little financial knowledge as well as those who simply wish to fill a gap in their understanding.