Is it time to update your communications strategy?

But as we enter the New Year, what better time than now to refresh your pensions and benefits communication and strategies?

Start with a review of what you currently do; what is working, what is not working? What do you want your strategy to achieve?

Effective communication can be challenging, but it is important for employers to take the time to think about what they are trying to achieve, and to put this into a clear strategy.

Doing so can help employees care about and understand the pension and benefits available to them, and understand the role they play in the bigger picture of the organisation.

Choose a multi-channel approach

Communication and the benefits being offered should stem from the company values. It should evoke why employees should value their employer, as well as being an important part of showing staff why they themselves are valued.

A well-thought-out, multi-channel communication approach will help employees understand their benefits better and will lead to employees making the most of the benefits offering.

However, updating a pensions communication strategy could take resource. So, in order to get the most from this, there are some fundamentals that should be considered.

Before looking at how to effectively communicate, you should start with a review of what you currently do; what is working, what is not working? What do you want your strategy to achieve?

Now is a good time to also speak to employees, or perhaps run a survey to understand what it is they want and the ways they want to engage.

Once you have established what you are trying to achieve, you can think about how to share this.

Simple is best

It is always best, regardless of what it is that you are communicating, to keep it short and jargon-free. Not everyone will understand key phrases or words that you use daily, so stick to the rule of writing your communications in plain English.

Of course, some benefits information may need to include terms and conditions, or additional regulatory information, but you could start with a simple overview, which leads in to more details if an employee expresses an interest.

Employers should not just explain what their benefits package is, they must tell employees what it means for them.

Members are more likely to take notice of what you are telling them, if they can relate it back to themselves. It is important they see the advantages of their benefits.

It is worth considering the frequency of your communications. It is more beneficial to employees if they receive information throughout the year, and you could relate your benefits where applicable to existing and recognised awareness days for example.

If you only communicate around once a year, it can feel overwhelming to employees when it comes to the enrolment window period, for example, and they may not make the most informed decisions.

Keep it interesting

Look at communicating in different ways, such as via email, FAQ documents, a company newsletter, online, an app, videos or face-to-face.

There are so many options in the way we communicate these days, so make sure your communications plan has several methods included, then you are likely to reach more people.

Employers could also look at using member feedback and case studies to highlight benefits. It may also help to introduce a fun character or branding that is purely related to company benefits, such as pensions, so employees start to recognise these messages.

And make your messaging fun where you can, thinking about catchy subject lines for emails to make pensions messaging and communications more inviting.

Mark Bingham is a partner at employee benefits consultants Secondsight