Benefits Communication Strategies to Improve Employee Engagement

AUGUST 1, 2023

Employee benefits are a staple of recruiting and retention strategies, yet many employers lack the time and resources necessary to engage and educate workers on the benefits offered to them. Employees that don’t understand the value of the benefits you offer are more likely to seek employment elsewhere.

Creating a positive benefits experience starting at open enrollment is essential to attracting and retaining the employees you need for the success of your business. Here we’ll highlight key components of employee benefits communication and other strategies designed to help you make the most of your resources and time:

Communication – Even the best benefits plan can have a limited impact on your recruiting and retention efforts when poorly communicated. A multi-channel communications approach that demonstrates the value of your benefits offering helps to reach employees on the devices and platforms they use and improves overall engagement.

Decision Support – Given the complexity of many benefit plans, knowing which options to choose can be overwhelming. Providing access to decision support resources, ranging from online tools to one-on-one personal support, can give your employees necessary information to help them select the benefits that best fit their individual and family needs.

Benefits Administration Technology – Another factor that contributes to benefits satisfaction is ensuring employees and their dependents have access to the benefits they’ve elected. Benefits administration technology can confirm eligibility, reduce errors, and help employees avoid frustrating claims issues.

Effective Employee Communication and Education Solutions

USI Insurance Services offers benefits communication solutions that can help employers significantly reduce time and resources spent on open enrollment and improve employee engagement:

Open Enrollment Resources

USI has a variety of benefits communication tools and resources available — including enrollment guides and on-demand educational videos — to improve benefits communication and engagement, and help ensure compliance with required disclosure notifications.

USI can also provide dedicated claims and benefits support to your employees through our Benefits Resource Center (BRC). Staffed by USI employees, BRC can significantly reduce the time business managers spend answering open enrollment questions and tracking down claims information.¹

Enrollment Technology

USI partners with benefits administration solution providers to help employers implement effective engagement and enrollment strategies.

Our vendors can assist with the development of a custom communication plan to deliver timely open enrollment and benefits messaging, utilizing appropriate channels for each organization’s needs. Our vendors also can also provide enrollment support tools, ranging from online decision support to scheduled one on one enrollment counseling with licensed, credentialled benefits specialists.

USI works with clients to assess different vendor options available and recommend best-fit solutions, with costs ranging between $3 and $5 per employee per month (PEPM) — significantly less than hiring additional support staff. Some vendors may also offer subsidized rates, reducing or eliminating the PEPM fees entirely.