24 Aug 2020
You’re satisfied with the employee benefits you have in place and are comfortable with the associated costs. But are you confident your employees fully understand the benefits which are available to them? If you have invested time and money into developing your benefits package, it is vital that you have an effective communication strategy in place to make sure your staff are taking full advantage of what is on offer. Below are some examples of aspects you may wish to consider when developing your communications strategy:
Communication
As the saying goes, ‘communication is key’ and often we find that staff are told about employee benefits when they join a company, as part of their induction, but this doesn’t get mentioned again. Regular communications thereafter will ensure everyone remains informed and engaged. This could include specific communications during different lifestyle events e.g. marriage/the birth of a child.
Appoint Employee Benefits ‘Champions’
One way to fully involve employees in the communication plan is to appoint employee benefit champions. Seeing fellow employees being proactive and positive about the benefits schemes will encourage the workforce as a whole to get involved and participate. This is a great way to spread knowledge and enthusiasm.
Put it in writing
All information about the benefits you offer should be in writing. This should be in a format which is easy to read and digest. Every employee should be given a copy of your benefits handbook, and an overview on how to locate commonly sought information.
Use of Online Platforms
If your company uses an intranet site, this can be a great platform to communicate information about your benefits. You could also look to maximise your use of free social media platforms such as Twitter or LinkedIn. An internal group could be created to keep employees up to date on the benefits they have access to.
Staff feedback
Employee opinion surveys are a great way to measure the level of understanding that employees have about the benefits you provide and how engaged they are. These surveys can also provide you with an indication of what benefits your staff value the most. Effective communications don’t need to be costly. You can maximise the use of systems you already have to provide information in a quick and easy way. Wingate can help you to develop your employee benefits strategy, to ensure your staff are making the most of the valuable benefits you provide for them. If you would like to discuss further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
