Give benefits communication a much-needed voice

By Kimberly Gavagan
A friend of mine recently received an envelope in the mail from the life insurance provider for her company. When my friend (we'll call her Sasha, because I imagine a friend named Sasha would be really glamorous and fun) opened it, she found generic materials sent directly from the vendor—with not even a cover letter from her own company explaining what was inside.

Her company is family-owned. Leaders make an effort to get to know employees and make them feel valued.

This generic, no-personality package was the opposite of what Sasha is used to. It contained a standard brochure and a bland form asking her to select one of two options for her life insurance coverage. There was no indication that this was part of her company's benefits program.

Sasha was baffled. And honestly, so am I.

This strikes me as a missed opportunity. Every time you send something to your employees about benefits you are sending two messages. The first, of course, is the information itself.

The second is silent, yet speaks volumes: it's about creating a sense of connection between the company and employee. In this case, the connection was lacking and the tone was saying, "We don't care."

Benefits are an emotional issue for employees. They see benefits as a way to take care of themselves and their families, provide financial security in the event of an illness or injury and help them happily retire.

This is not the time for generic communication.

If you must use the materials your vendor supplies, at least provide employees with a little context: a cover note explaining what's coming, why it's important and what employees should do.

Even better, benefits communication should align with your company's brand. Model it after your company's ads. Write simply, avoid jargon and be straightforward.

The best path, of course, is to make benefits communication personal. Employees should feel like it's coming from a human being—one who works at their company and understands them—and not a warehouse.

By doing so, you not only build understanding about benefits, but goodwill, as well.