Here’s how to ensure your staff know and use their benefits

Sylvia Schutte, Managing Director, Stratitude

By Sylvia Schutte, Managing Director, Stratitude

Companies offer amazing benefits. We know this because we help several blue chip clients market these benefits to their employees. Discounted entertainment, concierge services, legal and medical advice, tutor services for their kids, delivery services… the list is endless.

And with the current state of the job market and the pressure on offering competitive remuneration, companies should make employee benefit marketing a priority to attract and retain the best employees.

Here are things you should be doing when marketing to your employees about their benefits:

1. Make benefits part of the overall employee compensation communication

Companies often stick to talking salary, medical aid and pension fund benefits when an offer is made. By adding these benefits as a perk of working for your company, you immediately enhance the perceived value.

2. Don’t just rely on the office notice board

Use the right medium to tell your employees about their benefits. An induction presentation, benefit booklet, an app, email, website, desk drops, personal calls and a kiosk in your reception area are all ways to keep benefits top of mind and help employees see the value.

3. Make the benefits relevant to them

An employee who is starting a family has very different needs from a young intern or an executive.  Present the benefits so they can see the relevance to them and understand the value it will add to their lives.

4. Make your employees your ambassadors

Testimonials! Instead of using stock images use photos, and take short videos where your employees talk about their personal experiences when using your benefits. Keep it natural and honest.

5. Know if they are using the benefits, or not

Track benefit use. Are your employees using some more than others? Is it because they don’t know or understand all the benefits they have access to? Conduct a survey to see which benefits are valued more than others and align your communication to these insights.

6. Have a plan and stick to it

Benefit marketing isn’t something that should happen once in a while or when employees join your company. Market and promote benefits all year long and remind employees who they can talk to if they need information or benefit support.