Making benefits crystal clear

Clarity should be at the foundation of how to market your benefits programme because you want your employees to use it.

You want them to understand that using their discounts programme is a huge advantage to them when it comes to saving money, and they won’t do that unless your provider can make it clear to them how to maximise
it. The other elements of your package are also there to supplement their pay so it’s vital that all the extras available to them are communicated effectively. Conveying the value of employee benefits, in other words, is integral to getting your employees engaged with their programme.

A lack of understanding is one of the biggest communication barriers you face; one which is sometimes further complicated by the challenge of explaining new or difficult concepts like Cashback or Childcare Vouchers. It’s essential for your benefits provider to be able to deconstruct the jargon and explain succinctly to everyone how each benefit is relevant to them. Achieving the right tone to reach all sectors of your workforce should be one of their key objectives, but how can you tell that your provider is equipped for the job?

A Plain English accreditation is a very good indicator of an experienced and well- recognised communicator. Look for the Internet Crystal Mark of approval on your employee benefits portals to ensure they have the quality standard you deserve. Asperity has the accreditation featured on all their branded benefits websites, awarded for the standard of language, accessibility, navigation, design and layout of their Reward Gateway portal.

With many of the leading providers often reaching out to large user bases of more than a million people from a diverse range of backgrounds and sectors, it is essential that an employee benefits website is as clear and easy-to-use as possible.

Yet having the online Plain English accreditation is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to expressing yourself clearly through your communications. Offline promotion is the fundamental second strand to your online presence, and to maintain clarity, your communications strategy needs to look joined-up. Different workforces may rely more heavily on offline communication, so it’s important to choose a provider that understands your employee demographic. Asperity’s Communic8TM plan consists of eight fully branded communication pieces for each of their clients per year.

Combining a strategy like this with consistent clear messaging through all communications channels is a fantastic way to produce excellent engagement across the board.

“The integrated communications plan has been really well designed to reach all groups of employees.” – Sara Davies, Reward Director, Ladbrokes plc.