A benefits communication proshould help you put together a strategy that connects youremployees to their benefits year-round, and covers all your bases.(Photo: Shutterstock)

Open enrollment season is upon us! As an HR professional, you'reeither at your wit's end and up to you eyeballs in employeequestions, or you're sailing smoothly on a well-designed andimplemented enrollment strategy. It all depends on the type ofadvisor you have.

How well do these statements describe your benefits broker?

1. They know everything depends on the quality of yourcommunication.

A recent Benz Communications study split participants into twogroups: employees who said their company's benefits communicationswere effective, and employees who said their communications wereineffective.

Related: 10 tips to improve employee benefits communicationand enrollment

Among the group that said their benefits communications wereeffective, 76 percent said they were satisfied with theirbenefits. Among the group that said their communications wereineffective, only 6 percent said they were satisfied.

There's a strong correlation between benefits communications andbenefits satisfaction. Great benefits need great communication,because if your employees don't understand the value of theirbenefits, they won't appreciate them—or the hard work of yourbenefits team.

Brokers who are benefit communication pros know that the days of"doorstop" printed guides and lengthy meetings are over. Asuccessful—and beloved—benefits package requires top-notcheducation and personalized decision support.

2. They tailor their message to every client's needs.

A benefits communication pro won't just copy/paste theirget-the-word-out campaign. They take the time to understand yourcompany's culture: what's worked in the past, what hasn't worked,and what obstacles you're facing now. Then they craft acommunication strategy designed specifically for your company andyour employees. They'll use a variety of channels—including someyou probably haven't tried—to reach every member of yourworkforce.

3. They see the link between benefits communication andtalent.

According to the 2018 SHRM Employee Benefits report, two of themost common reasons companies cited for increasing their benefitsofferings last year were to retain employees (72 percent)and attract new talent (58 percent).

Offering great benefits is essential to landing top talent,especially in this low-unemployment, job-seeker's market. Butbenefits communications pros know the key to leveraging those greatbenefits is showing employees—current and prospective—just howvaluable those benefits are. Your broker should be able to providegreat benefits communications, along with benchmarking data relevant to your industry, soyou can meet the needs of your current workforce and attract thetop performers of the future.

4. They extend benefits communication beyond openenrollment.

Open enrollment is the Lollapalozza of your benefits year, butit leaves more than empty water bottles and unsold t-shirts in itswake. The choices your employees make during open enrollment willfollow them through the rest of the year. Your communication shouldto do the same.

A benefits communication pro should help you put together astrategy that connects your employees to their benefits year-round,and covers all your bases: onboarding new hires, encouragingsmarter healthcare buying decisions, and helping employees managecontributions to their FSAs, HSAs, or retirement accounts. Becauseeven after Lollapalooza ends, the music goes on.

Chad Schneider is senior director ofchannel sales at Jellyvision, maker of ALEX, an interactive benefitscommunication software used by more than 1,500 companies with morethan 18 million employees in total.

Read more: 

• 6 open enrollment trends to expect among largeemployers
• Ongoing enrollment communication
• 5 benefits communication tips for brokers in2019