Employers invest a significant amount of time and money providing benefits for employees and their families. In order to maximize the return on this investment, it is important to regularly communicate the benefits offering in a meaningful and comprehensive manner. An effective communication strategy educates employees on the benefits available, assists employees when utilizing their benefits, and reiterates the values of benefits. 

Communication Survey Findings: Identifying the Issues

A recent survey conducted by MetLife demonstrates the impact communication has on an employer’s return on benefits investments.

Employers and employees feel that failure to communicate is common. According to the survey, only 36% of employers believe their employees understand the true value and cost of the benefits they provide, a number that has remained consistent since 2004.

Employees confirm this perception. When asked whether their company’s benefits communications effectively educate them on their options, 67% of employees felt neutral or disagreed. Only 33% felt strongly that current communications helped them select the options to best meet their needs.

Conversely, a failure to understand specific benefits may cause employees to make poor decisions. For example, employees consistently ranked “losing income due to disability or illness” as one of their greatest worries. Yet when they ranked benefits in terms of perceived value, disability insurance placed 10th—even behind paid vacation/holidays.

Therefore, a company’s ability to communicate the value of its benefit package to employees can have a direct impact on employee satisfaction.

Communication Solutions: Strategy for Success

The Fallon Benefits Group Creative Director works with clients to design a benefits communication strategy which supports company culture and parallels other company communication materials. The strategy is based on a timeline, and materials are sent accordingly to employees throughout a communication campaign. Communication campaigns include Open Enrollment Brochures, Employee Benefit Statements, Benefit Summaries, and Claims Assistance Information. The information can be shared via posters, postcards, brochures, company newsletters or intranet.

The Creative Director serves in the capacity of Graphic Designer to provide meaningful benefits information to employees and their families working with each client.