By investing in employee benefits, you can promote a committed, engaged, and efficient workforce. Research suggests that 84% of employees who are content with their benefits also express high levels of job satisfaction, and three in five employees believe that their benefits package is a key factor in their decision to remain with their employer. To fully capitalize on these benefits, it is crucial to educate your employees about new benefits during implementation.

Here are three ways to communicate the value of new benefits and maximize that value:

1. Enlist champions: Enlisting a small group of employees to assist others in comprehending the new benefits plan is a cost-effective way of encouraging employee engagement with their benefits package. Ideally, the positivity will spread, and the senior leadership team will begin to act as champions of the initiative as well. Make sure that your champions fully understand the clear advantages and positive impacts that the new benefits plan will have on the company’s workforce.
2. Leverage external support: If you require assistance in preparing information for your employees, don't hesitate to reach out to your benefits broker or benefits provider. They may be able to provide you with sample written marketing materials and plan summaries about the new benefits that can be used as a point of reference going forward. PlanYear, for example, provides a plan recommendation tool that gives employees an estimate of their total cost of care under each of the available plan options. Additionally, employees can schedule personalized benefits consultations through PlanYear's digital benefits guides, guaranteeing year-round access to answers for any inquiries.
3. Communicate through multiple channels: A recent survey indicates that only 4 out of 10 employees find their employee benefits communications easy to comprehend. To address this issue, it is crucial to provide a comprehensive explanation of the benefits, including details on what is changing for employees, how it will benefit them, your perspective on the benefits, and the timeline for implementation. These are the top concerns for employees and should be addressed during the presentation. Incorporating images, charts, or infographics to simplify complex benefits is also an effective strategy to engage employees and simplify the process. Moreover, communicating through various channels enables employees to process the information in a way that suits them best. Since many employees are currently working remotely, it is essential to ensure that healthcare benefits communications reach everyone, even those not present in the office. Hosting virtual open enrollment sessions is an excellent solution, and providing and regularly promoting online recordings of the presentation allows employees to access healthcare information throughout the year.

With benefits being a top priority amongst employees, it is important to ensure that new benefits are implemented in an effective way. Employers can do this by:

1. Initially introducing the new benefit to only a few employees
2. Using resources provided by benefits providers
3. Communicating with employees in as many ways as possible, employers

Taking these extra steps improves employee satisfaction by really helping them maximize their benefits.