My husband and I were at a party when he politely reminded me to step off my soapbox because not everyone wants to hear me preach about why benefits communications matter. In that context, he wasn’t wrong. It was more inclusive to talk about Game of Thrones. And while I love discussing GOT, I can go on for hours about why benefits comms are so important.
I get passionate about benefits communications because benefits are personal. It’s easy to view them as being transactional since there are deadlines, dependent verification forms, rules, and eligibility requirements. However, when the administrative stuff is done and it’s time for an employee to actually use their benefits, they become deeply personal.
Think about the employee diagnosed with cancer who needs chemo to help her stay alive. The medical plan goes from something elected based on cost and network doctors to something that’s saving her life without destroying her life savings.
Or the employee dealing with the pressures of his job, providing for his family, and supporting his aging parents. He feels like he’s drowning and may be uncertain about where to go for help. In this case the employee assistance program isn’t a nice-to-have, but a lifeline to support and resources.
Finally, there’s the employee in the home-stretch of her career. Retirement is on the horizon. To her, the 401(k) isn’t a pre-tax savings account, but a means to the retirement of her dreams.
Each of the moments above is personal. They’re about more than policy. They’re about real lives.
And in case those moments aren’t reason enough, benefits are also personal because employees choose which programs they want to spend their money and time on – from deciding which medical plan to pay for, to how much to contribute to a 401(k), to participating in a wellness program. Anytime you spend your money or time on something, you bet it’s personal.
So when my clients inadvertently make benefits communications transactional they miss the opportunity to put the human back in human resources.
If you’re going to call yourself “Human Resources” or “People Experience” it’s crucial that you seriously consider the human/people-side of the experience from the get-go. That means taking an employee-first perspective.
When you take an employee-first perspective you:
- Consider employees’ emotional journey. What are they feeling in the moments they need to further learn about and use their benefits?
- Consider employees’ engagement journey. How are they first learning about their benefits? What resources are available when they want to better understand individual programs? What happens when they actually use their benefits or participate in a program?
By taking the time to understand the employee’s emotional and engagement journeys you’re better able to deliver the right information, at the right time, in the right format. For example, the employee diagnosed with cancer may need to figure out how to take a leave of absence while also dealing with the stress and fear of battling a life-threatening illness. Simply pushing along text-heavy, procedural documentation filled with technical language may have been an acceptable way to “support” that employee in the past, but not anymore.
Instead, make it personal. Don’t be afraid to connect with employees emotionally. Remember the messaging needs and channels are different at various points along the engagement journey. Identify need-to-know messaging versus nice-to-know messaging to establish a hierarchy. That’s not to say ignore the technical, cover-your-ass language but find ways to make that language more approachable and easily understandable for people who aren’t in HR and usually think about benefits on a just-in-time basis. In other words, consider the least benefits-savvy person you know and how you would help them learn about, understand, and use their benefits.
When you remember benefits are personal as opposed to transactional the equation changes. Instead of benefits being table-stakes for employment, they become a valuable piece of the employee experience – one that helps demonstrate the company’s commitment to its employees and helps employees live their best lives. And yeah, that’s personal.