Promoting HR Benefits to Employees Year-round

Companies spend big bucks on employee benefits—millions of dollars in many cases. Naturally, they want employees to understand the value of those benefits as part of their overall compensation. Yet many companies only communicate about benefits during open enrollment when employees are making decisions for the next year. Once a year isn’t enough if you not only want employees to value their benefits but also actually understand and use them to their advantage.

Year-round benefit communications should be part of every HR department’s annual planning. Talking about benefits January through December sends the message that benefits are a key way the company cares about employees. Plus, regular benefit reminders help eliminate common mistakes and help ensure benefits get used (or used properly).

A Quarterly Communications Plan

Some companies start with quarterly communications to highlight benefits and begin building awareness outside of open enrollment. For example, a quarterly calendar might focus on:

A Monthly Communications Plan

Others like to communicate more frequently and set a monthly benefits communications plan. Below is a sample plan:

A Personalized Communications Plan  

Some organizations use a more personalized communications plan during an employee’s first year. This approach gives regular touchpoints during the year as an employee gets acclimated and familiar with their benefits. 

All of these communications strategies help you make employee benefits a year-round conversation. If you’re ready to start planning, we can help. Simply reach out at helloindy@westcomm.com to get started.