Top tips for communicating your employee benefits platform

Well, don’t believe everything you hear!

Picture the scene. You’ve implemented a brand-spanking new benefits platform. It’s designed perfectly, matches your employer brand and easier than a Sunday morning to navigate.

It’s jam-packed with benefits designed for your employees. The only problem is, they just don’t know much about it yet.

Benefit portals can be confusing

Without clarity and understanding, promoting your benefits scheme can be a little like hitting a bullseye while blindfolded.

There can be a lot of confusion around what they are, how they’re selected and when they’re available. So, how do you drum up interest?

Well move over Marvin Gaye. Sadly, we don’t want them to hear it through the grapevine. Sorry Dave from accounts. We don’t want you spilling the beans down the pub. To make sure staff ‘benefit’, focus your efforts on the good stuff.

To help you get it right, here’s Zest’s top tips for communicating your platform:

1)  The Stock Market approach

Sell. Sell. Sell. It’s as simple as that.

Ok. Employee benefits are a little different to the trading floors of New York, but if you don’t sell them, how will you benefit?

Start conversations. Encourage internal promotion. Shout from the rooftops before, during and after annual enrolment. Remember, anytime benefits are available throughout the year.

 2)  Perfect your comms package

Say goodbye to generic company emails.

From Devon to Dundee and everywhere in between, communicate your benefits platform to those that matter most. Cram your content full of personalised copy your people want to read. Brochures, posters, digital screens – the works.

Why not tailor an email campaign with teasers and basket reminders? Or add some colour with personalised merchandise to match your branding.

Annual enrolment is your chance to think outside the box. And don’t forget, if you’re a global company, you can tweak your comms to a specific audience.

3) Know your product

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Knowing the ins and outs of your product is vital for communicating your platform to employees. From the tax and National Insurance savings on the Cycle to Work benefit to knowing how to access the platform through a mobile-friendly device, knowledge is power to answer any questions your platform may bring.

4) Lead from the front

‘We are the champions, my friends.’

Perhaps your CEO and HR team can’t sing like Freddie Mercury, but that doesn’t mean they can’t act like him.

We don’t mean strutting round Wembley and singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Put simply, your business leaders should be the champions. The champions of your product. Train them to use the platform, ensure they’re full of top tips to help employees make decisions and make sure they use it themselves.

You’ll find that management showing passion for the platform will likely encourage others to follow suit.

5) Listen to your people

Make benefits simpler and more efficient for everyone.

Find someone or somewhere dedicated to employee feedback. This will allow you to edit your offering, making it less clunky, more appealing, and ultimately, more cost effective as you move forward.

Looking for help with your employee benefit communications?

Introducing Zest Launch.

Zest Launch is a treasure chest of valuable information that allows you to flaunt your offering, create a buzz and drive excitement around the window.

• Tailor content to your people
• Wax lyrical about the wonderful world of benefits
• Be certain that colleagues know what’s available
• Create a sense of FOMO to drive submissions

There’s no need for faff. Let us do the hard work.

We’ll craft and deliver engaging, internal communications campaigns that drive awareness around your new benefits scheme. After all, it’s important to build excitement from day one.

Drop us a message today and see how we can add a touch of Zest to your benefit comms.