Getting—and keeping—people’s attention is becoming more and more challenging as we’re swarmed every day with instant communications and immediate, on-demand news. For those in HR and internal communications, this can be even more of a hurdle to overcome. Yes, employees need to know about benefits. But it’s not always sexy or fun to communicate, so it can be challenging to get them to pay attention and take action.
Here are 9 sure-fire ways to get your employees to pay attention to your benefit and employee communications.
1. Make it relevant.
One size does not fit all. If you send everything to every employee, they will start to tune out. We recommend segmenting and personalizing benefit communications wherever possible. We’re big believers of using data to drive your communications messaging and target audiences. By analyzing your employee data, you can better understand the makeup of your organization and develop messaging by group or even individual. Either way, it’s more meaningful to employees—and they’ll take note.
2. Make it fun.
We all need some light-heartedness and humor in our lives. Any (appropriate) way you can do that, you should. It will not only make your communications stand out, but it will also help employees connect with the message. A hospital client took that approach with their onboarding kits for new employees. They sent new employees company swag with general benefit information—all packaged together in a gift box. They wrapped their information in a way that employees couldn’t help but notice.
3. Keep it casual.
Using an approachable, conversational tone in your communications can go a long way. Employees grow weary of corporate-speak. They want authenticity. And talking to them as you would if you were having an in-person conversation feels more natural and personal—and it will be appreciated.
4. Use visuals as much as possible.
Most people are visual learners, and this certainly includes your employees. In fact, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read text. That’s why infographics, illustrations, videos and even internal ad campaigns are all examples of how good design can be used to increase employee engagement.
5. Understand your employees.
Not only should you understand your workforce’s demographics, but you also need a good grasp on their motivations. That’s why HR professionals are now taking a page from marketers’ handbook and employing behavioral science to provide a framework for understanding employee motivations and decision-making processes.
6. Use many channels.
Most people need to hear or see a message multiple times in multiple ways to understand it completely. And we all have preferences on how we prefer to consume information. Communicating a variety of ways increases the “stickability” of your message—which is particularly important when you need employees to do something like enroll in benefits.
7. Make internal documents easily accessible.
It should be easy to find and access HR communications—anytime, anywhere. After all, we know that employee questions often pop up during non-work hours. It’s helpful to centralize all HR information in one place. With thoughtful planning, an HR portal can become a tool your employees actually use.
8. Encourage two-way feedback.
When employees feel heard, they’re more likely to pay attention. Give employees the opportunity to pose questions or share comments. You may find you need to retool a message based on feedback, and this allows you to pivot and address any concerns more quickly. Consider tools such as pulse surveys and intelligent chatbots as ways to solicit feedback. Tracking call center calls and emails is also another effective approach.
9. Prioritize communication during onboarding.
Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Orientation and onboarding activities are a place where HR has a captive audience who wants to know what they don’t know yet! This is an opportunity to share how, where and when you communicate and what to be on the lookout for throughout the year. Get some tips to engage your employees right from the beginning.
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