Why Employee Benefits Communication Matters

A thoughtful employee benefits communication plan — one that meets people where they are and simplifies complex decisions — is essential to running an effective benefits program. Employee benefits are one of the most meaningful ways employers show support for their people — but if your employees don’t understand their benefits, they’re unlikely to value or use them. 

This is key, because research shows that even when employees think they understand their benefits, many are actually confused about core features like deductible levels, provider networks, or eligibility. One research study emphasized the importance of a mixed-media approach, noting that employees actively seek out both formal and informal sources when trying to understand their options. And when they can’t find what they need through official channels? They often turn to the “grapevine” instead—a risky alternative for something as important as health or retirement coverage.

That’s why a strong employee benefits communication strategy is one of the most important parts of your benefits approach. Whether you’re preparing for open enrollment or trying to increase utilization of underused programs like EAPs or HSAs, effective communication can boost participation, reduce confusion, and build trust.

Want to see what this looks like in action? Check out how one school district boosted teacher participation in benefits with clear communication.

Common Challenges in Communicating Employee Benefits

Even the best-laid plans can falter if they don’t address the real-world communication barriers employees face. Let’s break down some of the most common roadblocks and how to begin addressing them with practical, people-centered strategies.

1. Lack of Employee Awareness & Understanding

It’s surprisingly easy for benefits information to go unnoticed or misunderstood. Between acronyms, fine print, and eligibility windows, benefits education can quickly become overwhelming — especially for new hires or frontline employees with limited onboarding time. Many employees may assume they “know enough,” only to later realize they misunderstood key details.

2. Low Engagement with Benefits Communications

If your open enrollment email is sitting unread in an inbox, or your benefits guide goes unopened, you’re not alone. In a noisy digital environment, benefits messages have to work harder to break through. A proactive employee benefits communication campaign — complete with clear subject lines, targeted follow-ups, and visual storytelling — can go a long way in improving engagement.

3. Failure to Reach Non-Desk and Remote Workers

Deskless workers, field employees, or those without regular email access are often left out of the loop. Using text messages to communicate with employees can be a highly effective way to share time-sensitive updates, send reminders, or deliver personalized links. SMS has one of the highest open rates of any channel—making it a smart addition to your benefits communication strategy.

4. Inconsistent Messaging Across HR, Leadership & Managers

When different stakeholders are sharing different versions of the same information, it creates confusion and mistrust. HR teams should equip managers and leaders with talking points and FAQs to ensure everyone is aligned. Reinforcing key messages at multiple levels—corporate, team, and peer—helps reinforce trust and accuracy.

5. Timing and Volume

Many employees say the flood of benefits information hits them all at once, often during a short open enrollment window. But a good employee benefits communication campaign spreads messaging throughout the year, reinforcing key ideas over time. This “drip” approach allows employees to absorb information more gradually and act with confidence.

A well-rounded communication plan helps solve these problems — but it also helps prevents them from arising in the first place. And with tools like Selerix Engage, benefits teams can automate key touchpoints, personalize messages, and track real-time engagement — helping ensure your message not only gets out, but gets through in a way that resonates.

Building an Effective Employee Benefits Communication Strategy

Creating a smart, scalable employee benefits communication strategy starts with one simple idea: meet your people where they are. That means knowing what matters to them, how they prefer to receive information, and when they’re most likely to act on it.

Below are key components to help you build an employee benefits communication plan that actually works. One that informs, engages, and empowers your workforce.

Assess Employee Needs and Preferences

Before you can design an effective strategy, you need to understand what employees want to know — and how they prefer to learn. Run a quick pulse survey or focus group to gather insights on what benefits matter most, where there’s confusion, and which channels they trust. This is especially helpful for tailoring messaging to different groups, like part-time workers, new hires, or remote teams.

Set Clear Objectives for Your Communication Plan

What do you want your communications to achieve? Is your goal to increase enrollment in HDHPs, boost awareness of mental health benefits, or improve year-round engagement? Define measurable goals from the start. These will guide your content, cadence, and channel choices — and help you demonstrate ROI down the road.

Choose the Right Communication Channels

One of the most important elements of any employee benefits communication plan is channel choice. According to the study mentioned above, based on Media Richness Theory, employees benefit from a hierarchical, mixed-media approach. Email, intranet, videos, webinars, one-on-one conversations, and text messages each serve a unique role. The key is using each channel thoughtfully to reinforce, not repeat, your message.

For example, using text messages to communicate with employees about urgent deadlines or reminders can significantly improve response rates — especially for mobile and non-desk workers.

Use Campaigns to Engage Employees Year-Round

Think beyond open enrollment. A truly effective employee benefits communication campaign uses timely, relevant messages throughout the year. Highlight preventive care in the spring, financial wellness at the end of the year, or promote underused benefits during Mental Health Awareness Month. Campaigns that include incentives, gamification, or storytelling often see higher participation and retention. 

Personalize Messaging for Different Employee Groups

Benefits aren’t one-size-fits-all — and neither is your audience. Tailor your tone, content, and delivery method for different employee groups. For instance, a new college grad may need basic health insurance education, while a nearing-retirement employee may want deeper information about HSAs or 401(k) contributions.

Make Benefits Information Easy to Understand

Avoid jargon. Break information into digestible chunks. Use plain language and visuals. When employees say benefits are “overwhelming,” they’re often reacting to the format, not the content itself. An infographic, a 90-second video, or a Q&A with real-world examples can go a long way.

Encourage Leadership and Manager Involvement

Managers are a trusted source of information. Equip them with talking points, campaign updates, and links to resources so they can answer questions and reinforce key messages. A benefits campaign that includes leadership videos or endorsements can boost visibility and credibility.

Leverage Technology and Automation

Automation can sound a little cold, but it doesn’t mean impersonal — it just means easy and consistent. There’s still lots of room to personalize and humanize. With modern employee benefits communication software like Selerix Engage, you can schedule timely reminders, target messages based on demographics or behavior, and see what’s working in real-time. That kind of visibility helps you improve performance with each campaign.

Reinforce Key Messages Year-Round

Repetition breeds retention. Use multiple touchpoints over time to ensure that key benefits messages stick. Whether it’s reminding employees of FSA deadlines or re-introducing wellness incentives, reinforcing the message helps close gaps in understanding and drive action.

When it comes to employee benefits communication best practices, the most successful teams approach their strategy like marketers — with empathy, clarity, and creativity. The result? More confident choices, higher participation, and a workforce that sees benefits as more than paperwork to be checked off, but actually of value to their lives. 

Key Metrics to Measure Employee Benefits Communication Effectiveness

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Once your employee benefits communication strategy is in motion, tracking the right metrics helps you understand what’s working, where there’s confusion, and how to improve future campaigns.

Here are four key areas to watch:

1. Employee Engagement with Benefits Communications

Are employees actually reading and interacting with your communications? Look at open rates, click-through rates, video views, and text message response rates. If you’re seeing engagement dip, it could be time to test a new subject line, shift your timing, or simplify the message.

2. Benefits Enrollment & Utilization Rates

Monitor how many employees enroll in each benefit offering — and how those numbers change over time. A spike in HSA enrollment after a targeted campaign? That’s a win. Flat or declining numbers for wellness incentives? That might signal a messaging or awareness gap.

3. Employee Feedback & Satisfaction Scores

Send short pulse surveys or include benefits-related questions in your annual engagement survey. Ask whether employees feel informed, whether they understand their options, and how confident they are in the decisions they made. You can also track the volume and nature of HR support tickets as a passive signal of where communication might be falling short.

4. Cost-Effectiveness of Benefits Communication Efforts

This one’s easy to overlook but incredibly valuable. Compare campaign costs to engagement results — such as cost per opened message, percentage of deadlines missed, or reduction in compliance-related penalties. This helps you make the case for investing in better tools and resources next year.

Enhance Your Benefits Communication with the Right Tools & Strategies

There’s no single template for great employee benefits communication, but there are proven practices that make it easier and more effective.

At Selerix, we’ve seen firsthand how HR teams succeed when they move from one-off announcements to integrated, year-round employee benefits communication campaigns. The most successful teams treat benefits communication as an automated, but personalized ongoing conversation, not just a seasonal checklist.

And while strategy is key, technology can help you scale that strategy. A solution like Selerix Engage empowers teams to:

• Send personalized, targeted messages across multiple channels—including push, SMS text, and email.
• Automate reminders around eligibility, deadlines, and education
• Track real-time engagement metrics so you can adjust on the fly
• Store communication history to reduce back-and-forth confusion

Whether you’re trying to improve participation, reduce employee questions, or simply get more eyes on the benefits your company works so hard to offer, the right tools can help your message break through.

Focus on clarity, empathy, and consistency — and explore platforms that help you scale without sacrificing personalization. Your people (and your participation numbers) will thank you.

Ready to improve your employee benefits communication strategy? Get a guided tour of our Selerix Engage platform, today!