Why fancy tools are not enough to communicate with savers

Our experience in the online space has changed significantly over recent years. My son asked me recently how long we have had a computer and the internet at home. I recalled spending almost £1,000 some 20 years ago on a home PC that had only 1/150 of the storage capacity of my current mobile phone – and that’s before we even start to compare my phone’s 4G browsing experience with the dial-up service we had in 1994.

Technology is now an accepted part of the way we gather information to inform our decisions. Self-service opportunities are all around us and are used widely, which has far-reaching implications for the way we connect with people.

We need to challenge our old ways of thinking about technology and how we use it if we want it to help us communicate effectively.

Encouraging employees to use self-serve technologies is not just about empowerment, it’s about time-saving in our resource-stretched pensions departments

If we take a Field of Dreams approach to online communication – in other words a belief in the philosophy of ‘build it and they will come’ – then we may quickly conclude that online portals and tools are overrated as communication devices.

What is needed is a digital communication strategy; the emphasis in this phrase is on the ‘s’ word – the launch of a portal or tool needs to be part of a planned strategy with defined outcomes and measurable targets.  

A good example of self-service technology working well to keep employees informed about their pay and benefits is Asda’s fully interactive online reward portal.

This enables the grocer's salaried colleagues to view their pay, pension, bonus, shares and other financial benefits online.

In developing portals such as this, there is always the consideration that staff would need a reason to visit it on a regular basis, rather than logging in once when it’s all new and then not using the facility again. This is a strong way of showcasing a return on investment to the company.

One way of achieving this, and the way that Asda has used, is to integrate staff payslips with the system, therefore giving a reason for people to visit the site on at least a monthly basis.

Creating a direct link with benefits and pay also reinforces the message for staff to review their financial choices as a whole and consider ways to make their salary work better.

The big red button

Once you have an employee’s attention and they are engaging with the online tool, allowing them to go further and take any action they need without fuss can be empowering – essentially a ‘big red button’ moment, making the next step as obvious and easy as a big red button on the web page.

The implications are not just for the benefit of employees, as employers can also reap the rewards of using more technology.

The more employees can do themselves online, the less likely they are to trouble their HR or pensions departments – thereby reducing admin requirements around staff queries and providing extra information.

Encouraging employees to use self-serve technologies is not just about empowerment, it’s about time-saving in our resource-stretched pensions departments.

Another important aspect of online delivery is the ability to measure and report on behaviour.

Hosting analytics can provide extensive reporting on how, for example, users accessed the site – through mobile or PC – how long they spent online and their navigation while on the site.

This gives a basis, not only to report success, but to make changes to the user journey when appropriate. 

Karen Partridge is head of client services, UK and Australia, at communications consultancy AHC