We’re well into 2010, the fourth-quarter rush is a fading memory, the pace is slowing a bit, and, thank god, open enrollment is over. Don’t allow your clients fall into the trap of thinking that the communication of the benefits program is over. Given our current circumstances, the need to communicate is more important than ever.

We’re all aware that change is the only thing that’s constant, but I can’t remember a time when it constantly happened so big and so often! I feel employers will face challenges this year that they have never faced before. (Unfortunately, many won’t have the foresight or courage to face them this year, either.) I see the three biggest factors as: the economy, a national health care debate, and the increasing influence of the Internet and social media.

All of these have employees thinking differently about their benefits. This either poses a huge threat or a huge opportunity for employers. Since this is perceived as either an opportunity or threat, you are blessed/cursed with the same threat/opportunity. As you help your clients prepare for an effective communication strategy, consider the following:

1. Benefits are more meaningful to employees than ever before. At a time when salaries are frozen and bonuses rare, the benefits package becomes a larger and larger percentage of total compensation. Also, with the tight economic environment, employees are more sensitive than ever to out-of-pocket expenses and want to know how to keep them to a minimum. As benefits become more meaningful, and consequently more visible to employees, the benefits program takes on a more significant role within the employer’s overall brand and value proposition.
2. This isn’t just a main street issue; benefits are on the national stage. With so much conflicting information in the media, the moving target of proposed health care changes, and the accompanying anxiety of an unknown impact, employees are understandably anxious about the impact to them. Employees are looking for answers, or at least regular communication to help them understand the issues and potential impact for them. What an opportunity for employers, with our aid, to show sensitivity to the confusion and, at the same time, reinforce the value of their own offering.
3. The Internet and social media are changing the rules of the communication game: reading this article online is just one example. We are all increasingly expecting to be communicated with in almost real-time. Twitter, Facebook, RSS news feeds … the list is endless. We need to help our clients embrace technology to get critical messages to their employees in creative, timely ways. The traditional methods of communicating with employees are no longer sufficient.

With these factors in mind, employers should consider the following when putting together their communication strategy for open enrollment.

Build a bridge. Know the employees’ concerns, as well as what drives business results. Determine how their benefits program can bridge the two, then create a plan and measure results. Results won’t be immediate, but a strategy ensures everyone stays on track.

Bring the benefits program to life. Market the benefits program the same way you market your company. When communicating benefits, you aren’t just competing with the competition, you are competing with all of the messages trying to get to the employees. You have to stand out.

“What’s in it for me?” That’s the question on every employee’s mind. We all understand that that is the question on a prospect/client’s mind and employees are no different. Address their concerns the same way you would a client. Recognize the diversity of your workforce and tailor the message. Keep your communication focused on the impact to the individual employee. National and corporate benefits spend may be interesting to the decision makers, but it isn’t what really concerns the employees. Help employees understand how to best use what is available.

Communicate with everyone. Sixty to 70 percent of health care costs aren’t driven by employees; they’re driven by their dependents. It’s another family member who often makes the family health care decisions. Don’t lock the message away.

Connect the dots. Don’t let benefits communication be a silo. Include it in compensation discussions and connect it back to both the company results and your employee’s lives at every opportunity.

Control the experience. With multiple providers included, it is necessary for employers to take control and integrate the messages, plans and processes to keep it manageable.

Communicate All Year. Open enrollment is for filling out forms. Use the rest of the year to tell the “what” and “why.” Ongoing communication helps keep year-to-year changes from being so alarming. Employees will better understand health care costs, issues and how it impacts the company.

Take the message to your audience. Live employee meetings are still valuable, but no longer sufficient by themselves. Record sessions and post them online, help employers start a benefits blog on their intranet site to regularly communicate updates and helpful tips, use Twitter to post more frequent updates. The potential use of new media is almost endless, but one that we have to help employers embrace. It doesn’t matter how powerful the message if you aren’t reaching your audience. Print, electronic, podcasts, blogs and social media are just a few examples of ways to make that critical connection.

Keep it simple. The potential amount and complexity of information can be overwhelming. Start by summarizing, clearly, the key points employees want/need to hear (any changes, costs, actions needed, etc.). Then provide clear directions about how/where they can get more detailed information. Make information easy to get to, easy to use, and easy to understand. Instead of cumbersome, overwhelming manuals, communicate with tip sheets, checklists and tailored messages.

Managers. Engage managers and, in turn, employees. The more messengers you have, the more you communicate.

Feedback. Solicit feedback from your employees by asking them to submit questions, comment on blogs, participate in meetings and complete surveys.

Measure. From surveys to focus groups to communication audits, identify opportunities to refine and fine tune your message

Repeat. Send the message over and over again, change up the timing and media, but keep sending the message.

Unfortunately, most employers will spend months deciding what plans to offer, adjusting their contribution strategy and trying to make it fit into a budget. Unfortunately, they tend not to take the last, maybe most critical, step of formulating a clear, powerful and effective communication strategy.

Remember, it isn’t enough to provide a valuable benefit program. Employers have to wave the value flag and take the story to their employees. Until the employees can see and understand the value, it may as well not even exist. Telling that story is our challenge and our opportunity. It’s a big challenge, but provides even greater rewards.

About the Author Kevin Trokey is President of Benefits Growth Network, a firm specializing in growth strategies for Employee Benefit agencies, departments and producers. He can be reached at [email protected].

© Copyright 2010 Zywave, Inc.