In today’s competitive labour market, offering benefits is key to hiring and keeping exceptional talent. Surprisingly, most workers prioritise their benefits packages over salary when making career decisions. Providing comprehensive training is essential to ensure your staff is leveraging all the advantages of their benefits package.

With easy-to-understand explanations about each type of benefit available, you’ll ensure that employees truly understand what they’re entitled to from your company so everyone can get the maximum value out of those perks.

Take the time to assess employee needs

Understanding how to support your employees with benefits begins by understanding their current benefits literacy and identifying any existing gaps. 

One of the first things you should do is evaluate your company’s job titles, roles, and responsibilities. This will help you identify which benefits are most important to each group of employees. For example, if you have a lot of employees who work in physically demanding jobs, they may need more information about health insurance options that cover injuries or disabilities.

Once you’ve identified which benefits are most important to each group of employees, investigate which specific individuals need awareness about these benefits. This could include new hires who may not be familiar with all of the company’s offerings or employees who have recently experienced a life change (such as getting married or having a child) and may need additional support.

Establish an effective communication plan

Establishing an effective employee benefits communication plan is crucial when creating a comprehensive benefits literacy plan for your employees. Multiple communication channels are vital to ensuring all employees receive the information they need to make informed decisions about their benefits. In-person meetings, email campaigns, and benefits partners’ webinars are great ways to get important information across.

It’s also important to consider the complexity of the topics being discussed. Design visuals and infographics that everyone can easily understand to simplify complex topics. This will help ensure that all employees clearly understand their benefits options.

Leverage employee benefits technology

Technology such as open enrollment software can be a game changer when managing employee benefits. By using available benefits technology, employers can automate tedious tasks and processes, freeing time and resources for more pressing matters.

One key way to leverage employee benefits technology is by integrating a user-friendly platform for employees to access and manage their benefits packages. This platform should provide easy-to-understand information about each benefit offered and tools for employees to decide which benefits are right for them.

Another important aspect of leveraging employee benefits technology is encouraging employees to take ownership of their benefits education. This means providing access to digital resources like videos, webinars, and interactive tools to help employees better understand their options and make informed decisions. 

By empowering employees with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about their benefits packages, employers can create a workforce that is engaged, satisfied, and more likely to stay with the company long-term

Utilise educational workshops and training seminars

One of the most effective ways to enhance employee benefits literacy is through educational workshops and training seminars. These events can give your employees the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to navigate their benefits packages effectively.

To ensure that your workshops and seminars are engaging and informative, consider incorporating interactive activities to keep your employees engaged throughout the event. This could involve group discussions or hands-on exercises that help employees apply what they have learned in practical scenarios.

In addition to utilising interactive activities, it’s also important to use different formats to provide advice and guidance. For instance, you might consider offering virtual one-on-one sessions with benefits experts who can answer questions and provide personalised advice. Alternatively, you could incorporate group benefits exercises that allow employees to collaborate and learn from one another.

Encourage feedback from employees

When employees feel heard and valued, they are more likely to engage with the plan and take advantage of its offerings.

One way to encourage feedback is by allowing for anonymous feedback to be collected from employees. This can be done through surveys or suggestion boxes, which give employees a safe space to share their thoughts without fear of repercussions. By providing anonymity, you may receive more honest and candid feedback from your team.

Another approach is to solicit employees’ ideas on improving the benefits literacy plan. Your workforce has unique insights into what they find helpful and what could use improvement. By inviting suggestions, you show your team that their opinions matter and that you are committed to creating a plan that works for everyone.

Incorporate a results-driven approach

By regularly analysing the results of your benefits literacy programme, you can identify which segments and topics resonate with employees and where improvements can be made. This information can help you develop strategies to increase employee engagement and improve overall program effectiveness.

Some effective strategies for increasing engagement include offering incentives for participation, providing interactive learning experiences, and tailoring content to meet the specific needs of different employee groups.

It’s important to regularly communicate with employees about the benefits available to them and how they can take advantage of them. By keeping employees informed and engaged, you can help ensure they make the most of their benefits package and improve their overall wellbeing.

Incorporating a results-driven approach into your benefits literacy plan will help you continually improve offerings, increase employee engagement, and ultimately achieve greater success in promoting employee wellbeing.

Take action to improve your employees’ benefits literacy

Benefits literacy is essential for employees to maximise their benefits packages and ensure they take advantage of all available offerings. A comprehensive benefits literacy plan can help your team better understand their options, stay engaged with the plan, and ensure that their overall health and wellbeing are taken care of.

By utilising strategies such as educational workshops and training seminars, anonymous feedback collection, interactive activities, and a results-driven approach, you can create an effective benefits literacy programme that your employees will benefit from.

Frank Mengert is the founder and CEO of ebm, a provider of employee benefits solutions.