Communicating Employee Benefits Course Outline

Home / Certificate Programs / Certificate Series / Communicating Employee Benefits / Communicating Employee Benefits Course Outline

<< Back to Course Page

Employee benefits are an important—but complex—part of compensation, and excellent employee benefits communication practices can save a company time and money. When employees understand their benefits offering, they can appreciate the real compensation they’re receiving. That appreciation can translate into high job retention and satisfaction.

The problem is that many employees don’t understand “insurance-speak” acronyms, compliance or how to match benefits with their financial needs. These challenges can cause employees to feel lost or misguided and result in them missing essential deadlines for electing benefits.

This course provides HR specialists and benefits administrators with actionable strategies and metrics to improve their benefits communication with employees. Additionally, it will identify the areas of communication that are essential to getting employees to act on a timely basis. By gaining this understanding, organizations will be better able to achieve the goal of their benefit plans: employee participation and retention.

Day 1


A. Strategically Planning Communications

  1. Engagement
  2. Retention/Recruitment
  3. Cost Savings
  4. Compliance
  5. Productivity
  6. Support Brand
  7. DEI
  8. Continuous Feedback

B. Identify Learning Styles and Diversity Needs

  1. Learning Styles—Cultural, Language, Proficiency, Learning Disabilities, Technology Desert, Socioeconomic Factors, Individualized
  2. Generations
  3. What works and doesn't work?
  4. How to work through these various styles and needs
  5. Shared Samples

C. Effective Communication Methods

  1. How we communicate—methods of communication - written, oral, email, paper mail, other
  2. When we communicate frequently
  3. What we communicate - open enrollment, benefit changes (new and old)
  4. Share Samples

D. Biggest Blunders in Employee Benefits Communications Planning

  1. What trips us up
  2. How to stop tripping

Day 2

F. Technology, Vendor Partnerships, Outsourcing

  1. Know your budget and how to manage
  2. What is available
  3. What have you used and how did it work?
  4. Share Samples

G. Year-Round Communications

  1. Why is it needed?
  2. Are there samples? Is there a downside?
  3. Share Samples

H. Develop Goals

  1. Comprehension
  2. Outcomes
  3. Engagement

I. Creative Communication Exercise

J. Measure Outcomes

  1. S.M.A.R.T goals
  2. The feedback loop
  3. What to do with your feedback exercise
  4. Engagement

K. Workplace Trends and Predictions

  1. What does the future look like?

L. Case Study

The capstone for this course is working with a team to evaluate the issues around an unsuccessful rollout of a hypothetical company’s new health plan. As a team, you are asked to outline a new communication solution, develop key messages, establish a timeline and decide on communication mediums.

 


<< Back to Course Page