You can’t just launch your benefits programme and hope for the best, it has to be communicated and even become its own brand, in order to optimise impact and ROI. Suggests Pete Snelling, Consultant at Shilling.
Providing a quality benefits package requires a significant investment of time and money. While we’re being asked to deliver a return on investment for each pound spent in every other aspect of a business, why do many companies continue to simply ‘make benefits information available’ and expect employees to understand and engage with it? They won’t “just engage”. Without effort being channeled into the launch and on-going communication of your benefits, you are unlikely to see a tangible return in terms of improved retention figures and increased employee motivation and productivity. However, a targeted and creative communication campaign should be underpinned by a quality and relevant benefits offering, designed to appeal specifically to your employees.
“Creating a separate brand can give benefits communication its own identity which employees can easily recognise and engage with”
The launch of a benefits programme offers your organisation a real opportunity for wider engagement with staff. If you carefully consider each stage and commit equal effort to the process as a whole, you will not only maximize on take-up of the scheme but create a powerful on-going engagement tool that’s worth the investment. In a competitive environment where attracting and retaining the right staff is fundamental to the success of your business and salaries are being capped and bonuses squeezed, you need to make sure every penny of your benefits strategy is valued and appreciated. To do this you need a good understanding of your employees’ needs. Whether you take the opportunity to pro-actively survey employees or use existing data to identify key target groups and build profiles, good research-based thinking will help you increase take-up.
The launch (or re-launch) is a chance to demand attention and capture the imagination of your staff. This is positive news; of real value and worth to employees so it deserves to be shouted about. It must stand out from other general organisational communication and be engaging, vibrant and powerful. Creating a separate brand can give benefits communication its own identity which employees can easily recognise and engage with. In terms of your launch channel, pro-active engagement is essential and a range of marketing and promotional tools should be used. In our self-service, easy-access culture, where we are used to being offered choice, independence and control, social media has become a marketing launch tool; a launch platform that will let a product ‘sell itself’. But when it comes to launching a benefits programme, it needs more than that.
Social media may be a way to communicate cheaply, but this lightweight approach may not reflect your investment of time and money, and the value of the benefits offered. You need to use the right tools for the job. Social media is a powerful and instant tool and can certainly encourage three-way communication between colleagues and offer the opportunity for live employee feedback, and it may help to promote your benefits to a younger audience, but it certainly shouldn’t be the only tool in your bag – it should be used as part of wider campaign strategy. Consider a dedicated website where people can make active choices, or targeted direct mail, posters or flyers; whichever best suits the nature of your workforce.
While choosing the right channel is important, getting the content right is also vital, so that staff understand what is on offer and fully appreciate its value. In a flexible benefits scheme it’s important to provide staff with jargon-free, simplified information, but also to give them the confidence to make the right choices.
Benefits are not a one-hit-wonder. The launch should form the initial thrust of an on-going campaign to maintain momentum and keep engagement levels high. Regular contact with your employees will allow you to constantly reinforce messages, receive feedback and share news. If staff continue to feel involved and motivated then they are far more likely to connect and make active decisions about their benefit choices. Once you have an established communication channel or platform, built on a foundation of positive news, you will be in a better position to share wider business information. Benefits communication should be a core element of a far-reaching engagement strategy, designed to encourage a culture of openness, honesty and trust.
