5 top employee benefits communication methods
August 28, 2014 9:52 AM
1. Work email
Work email was favored by 47% of the employees surveyed in Prudentials Eighth Annual Study of Employee Benefits: Today & Beyond. Jean Wiskowski, vice president of sales strategies at Prudential, says that electronic communications have not always dominated the study. Going back eight years, a lot of the numbers [for electronic media] that you see in the report were literally nil, she says. [Image: Fotolia]
2. Personal email
Twenty-eight percent of the employees surveyed said they prefer their benefits information be communicated through their personal email. [Image: Fotolia]
3. Online avatar
Nineteen percent of employees said they prefer online avatars to help recommend benefits to meet their needs, according to the survey. Whether its avatars or video units or quick sound bites, [these] really help in increasing employee education in more laymans terms, says Wiskowski. [Image: Fotolia]
4. Group meetings and individual one-one-one meetings
Both group meetings (18%) and one-on-ones (19%) still hold a hefty portion of employees preference when it comes to receiving benefits communication. Meanwhile, 74% of employers said group meetings and seminars are the most successful communication method. [Image: Fotolia]
5. Smartphones or tablets
While not listed as a top preferred communication option, 24% of employees said they like downloading or sharing benefits information via their smartphone. Certain employers adapt more to those types of technologies [smartphones and tablets], Wiskowski says. Some are looking at what we can do in the space of making the employee experience easier, but I would say it tends to play better in certain industries. Employee size can also come into play for the adoption of a tablet or a mobile phone [into benefit communication strategies]. [Image: Fotolia]
