WordsFresh

Why is total rewards so hard to understand? It's not just your team. Even the biggest companies with the broadest benefits struggle with helping employees get the most out of their plans. Here are 3 tactics we know can help: 1.?????Don’t wait until open enrollment to talk about benefits. Schedule regular touchpoints during team meetings and newsletters all year. 2.?????Rewrite your materials using plain and simple language. Everyone should be able to understand their options without a glossary (but a glossary is a good idea, too). 3.?????Make your benefits relatable. Use stories and case studies to show employees how the benefits apply to their lives. Clear communication is what we do at WordsFresh, and we’ve seen these strategies make a real difference in employee engagement. #wordsfresh #totalrewards #benefits #communications

The word “audit” conjures up images of an unfriendly IRS agent poring over your personal files. Who wants to sign up for that? But auditing your internal communications is eye-opening and always worth your time. Luckily, a few fresh twists can turn the standard audit into an “anti-audit.”?? WordsFresh has a checklist for making it positive and productive. Try this and see if it doesn't give you new ideas and a new perspective. And you can save the anxiety for tax season. https://lnkd.in/dXEHp7qh #wordsfresh #communications #audit

Does your HR team have to tell employees not to cut their toenails on top of their desks? Then it's not really surprising that Human Resources had the highest turnover rate of any job LinkedIn tracked in 2022! (NYT gift article) https://lnkd.in/gCNwUv_9

Does your team only know your company's values by reading your website? Or are those values part of your company culture? Start here to make your values actually valuable: https://lnkd.in/gurNtutA #wordsfresh #values #culture #communications

She really, really, really hates this Olympics ad about AI. Did it make you want to rise up with pitchforks and shut the whole thing down? https://wapo.st/3ybAZfA (gift article)

Annual enrollment deserves some love. Those two or three weeks - and the months of prep leading up - are tough on the HR and communications teams. And employees still struggle with making the right decisions about their benefits. One way to get more people to embrace the process? This year, treat your company's leaders like full-fledged benefits influencers: 1. Give leaders talking points to help them answer employee questions. 2. Encourage them to share their personal stories across various internal channels. 3. Have leaders host Q&A sessions to fully engage their teams. Because people listen to other people. And leaders have the uniquely human ability to connect with other humans. Best of all, it will prove that your leaders see employee wellbeing is at the heart of your organization. #wordsfresh #annualenrollment #benefits

IT'S COMING. Sorry to be so dramatic. It's just that we're working on a lot of annual enrollment projects with clients right now, so we know the dread is real. Have you been handling annual enrollment for several years? It can be tempting to fall into a rhythm.? Mail the postcards. Post the flyers. Send out the emails.? But how do you know you’re providing the information employees?truly?need? Talk?*to*?your audience, instead of?*at*?them.? Try this: 1. Survey employees?well before?annual enrollment. Ask what questions they have and what information they want to see. Use their answers to inform your materials. 2. Host informational sessions?and give employees room to participate. Provide a comprehensive overview of your benefits, but don’t stop there. Share your screen and walk employees through the process. Use a virtual chat to solicit (and answer) questions. Record the session and share it afterwards. Break it into chunks and weave it throughout your annual enrollment channels and comms.? 3. Send a follow-up survey?after?annual enrollment. Ask employees what worked and what didn’t. At what point(s) were they confused? What could be improved??Use their feedback to inform your strategy for next year.? #wordsfresh #annualenrollment #openenrollment

????On a quest to boost your company's social media game? Using curated content can be your superpower ???? https://lnkd.in/g-CtFX7S #wordsfresh #socialmedia #content

HOW TO WRITE A BETTER SPEECH When you’re writing a speech, the secret lies in storytelling. It’s the art of transforming ideas into shared experiences.?But where do those stories come from? And how do you use them to connect with people? Here’s what we do: ??Get specific Paint vivid pictures in your audience’s minds. Instead of simply stating facts or outcomes, describe the challenges faced, the emotions involved and the eventual triumphs.? Example:?“For nearly 24 hours, our IT team huddled in the conference room. Under fluorescent lights, they scrutinized countless lines of code. They were missing meals and sacrificing important family time to restore our systems after the cyberattack.”? ??Compare and contrast Draw sharp contrasts to highlight significant points. Juxtaposing past and present scenarios can vividly illustrate progress or change. Example:?“Comparing our startup phase to our current global presence is like comparing a paper airplane with a jumbo jet. Sure, both fly. But their destinations are worlds apart.” ?? Use the power of questions Frame your examples around questions that prompt your audience to think deeply. Present your example as an answer to a thought-provoking question to engage the audience’s curiosity and analytical thinking.? Example:?“What if we fail? That’s the same question asked by countless businesses – from Airbnb to Netflix – that have paved the way for industry-defining breakthroughs.” ?? Make the audience the story Design your examples to include audience participation, such as quick polls or live demonstrations. Engaging the audience directly makes the examples more relatable and the overall message more persuasive. Example:?“Raise your hand if you’ve faced uncertainty in your projects. Look at all these hands. We’re all navigating these waters together.” Storytelling transforms your words into an emotional journey, making your speech a shared adventure. That's how you guide your audience exactly where they’re meant to go, #wordsfresh #speech #internalcomms

Have you ever wanted a warm hug from Miss Honey? Or maybe a fun lesson from Ms. Frizzle? Anne Lamott’s book on writing feels like both put together. And - seeing younger ones wrapping up the spring semester - Lamott's words on looking just 2 or 3 feet ahead of you have us feeling a little nostalgic, too. "You don't have to see where you're going, you don't have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.” -Anne Lamott, “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” #wordsfresh #communications #advice