Perception is Reality: Best Practices in Benefits Communications

Presenter Name

June xx, 2014

Presenter Contact Info

INSERT SESSION

TITLEMary Schafer

June 23, 2014

Vice President, HCM Strategic Services

Perception is Reality:

Best Practicesin Benefits

Communications

Today’s Discussion

• Workplace and Workforce Dynamics• The Case for Communications• Audience• Messaging• Vehicles• Best Practices: Examples• Measurement

Mary Schafer | June 23, 2014

Workplace and Workforce DynamicsMary Schafer | June 23, 2014

The World We Work

71 percent of workers are “not engaged”

84% of leaders say disengaged employees are one of the three biggest threats facing their business…

Sources: *Gallup, **The Economist

And, Yet…

Only 12 percent of leaders are working to address it …

Source: The Economist

The Case for Communication

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good

impromptu speech.”

- Mark Twain

The Case for Communication and Education

• Effective communication is one of the most important drivers of employee engagement*

• Employees must be aware of decisions that affect them* - like benefit choices

• Communications are more challenging than ever:

• Expectation of personalization• Complex ACA and benefits information

• Multiple communication channels

*Source: Corporate Executive Board, Internal Communications

The Hefty Cost of Not Communicating Well

It adds up to major money!

• Estimated cost of employee misunderstanding• Actions or omission, misunderstood/misinformed

• Policies, processes, job function

Estimated lost productivity cost per worker annually resulting from communication barriers

$37 Billion

$26+ Thousand

Source: The Holmes Report: David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, is author of You Can’t Not Communicate and the follow-up, You Can’t Not Communicate 2.

Show Me the Money

For Example:• Best Buy: higher engagement scores led to better

store performance• Individual stores saw an additional $100,000

annually for every ONE percentage point increase in engagement

Source: The Holmes Report: David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, is author of You Can’t Not Communicate and the follow-up, You Can’t Not Communicate 2.

Companies with highly effective communicators have 47% higher ROI

The Value of Company Advocates

Employees who recommend their company as a great place to work are:• 4 times more loyal• 3 times as satisfied with their benefits

Loyalty is a prized quality; unfortunately:• 1 out of 3 employees will bail in the next 12 months• Only 2 out of 5 employees would recommend their

company as a great place to work

Source: 2013 MetLife Study

The Audience

“The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.”

– Mal Pancoast Motivational Speaker

The Importance of Knowing Your Audience

People are living and working longer;

5 generations are now in the workforce

• Traditionalists • Baby Boomers • Generation X • Generation Y • Millennial

Research Shows This….

But do you know what happens when you assume…?

Messaging

“Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you'll have no

word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.”

– C.S. Lewis

Messaging: Where to Start

The hallmarks of effective change communications - ask the right questions:

• Who are we talking to?• What do they need to know? • Why?• When?• How?• What action do they need to take?• How can we arm managers to communicate?• How do we demonstrate the big picture?

BestPractices

• Short and sweet

• Simple and memorable

• Layman’s terms

• Meaningful

• Designed to drive action

• Relevant

• Define, differentiate

• Address value prop

• Aligns with strategy

• By audience

• By depth of information

• Multi-lingual

Focus on MessagingMary Schafer | June 23, 2014

Specific Communication Methods

Employee Ratings

Personalized Messages/Materials reflecting individual needs:

Online Decision Support Tools, like calculators, videos and FAQs:

Employer Benefits Website:

Source: MetLife Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends

Vehicles

“We are in the throes of a transition where every publication has to think of its digital strategy.”

- Bill Gates

Communication Strategies

Pick the Right Mix to Reach Your Key Audiences:Print:

• Posters, postcards

• Brochures, home mailings

Electronic:• Videos, e-mail

• Podcasts, surveys

Web:• External website, Internal portals

Mobile:• Smart phones, iPad (tablets), text

Social:• LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Slideshare

The Right Communications Vehicles Can Help…

HR professionals:• Enhance annual enrollment• Leverage multiple ways in reaching your

audience• Streamline benefits management• Nurture a culture of collaboration

Using Mobile Technology

All print pieces include QR Code

Scan with smart phoneand watch a video aboutbenefit changes…

Best Practices

Examples….Mary Schafer | June 23, 2014

.Make it human

• Dry topic - completing a beneficiary form

• Add a human element to drive action

.Keep it real

• Leverage

employee stories

• Make it relatable

• Have fun with

the message

.Help them relate

• Dependent Care

FSA promotion

• Cute image

• Attention grabbing

.Make ‘em smile

• Flexible spending

account promotion

• Café or break room

.Make ‘em stop and think

• Concise

• Easy to understand

• White space is OK!

.Give clients the tools

• Prewritten materials

• Layman’s terms

• Timelines

Measurement

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at

the results.”

– Winston Churchill

Did We Move the Needle?

• Review program goals and strategies • Leverage surveys, click-throughs• Use data, anecdotal information• Did employees take action?• Compare goals with outcomes

What Works

• Align strategy to outcomes• Know your audience• Develop relevant messages that resonate• Leverage new and existing

communication vehicles• Measure, refine and follow up

Questions?Mary Schafer | June 23, 2014

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