Better Benefits Communications: How to Educate, Inspire & Drive Action amongst your employees

Great benefit programmes can easily fail without great communication. When your employees understand, value, and use their benefits, engagement rises and so does your return on investment (ROI).

In fact, even when it doesn’t, great communications should include a feedback loop, such that your employees are heard and you can learn.

This article brings together the key ideas from our webinar Better Benefits Communications: Education, Inspiration & Action to help you create messages that truly land with your people.

You’ll find practical ideas, a ready-to-use checklist, and expert tips to make every communication count.

1. The essentials

Before you start crafting messages, it’s worth revisiting the foundations of good communication. Effective benefits communication isn’t just about what you say - it’s about connecting the value of your benefits to the lives and needs of your people. This section outlines the essential principles to make your messages resonate and drive genuine engagement.

Start with the ‘why’.
Show employees why benefits are valuable and how they support their needs.

Make it personal.
Segment by life stage, age, or any metric you can that increases the relevance to each employee.

Keep it simple.
Use Plain English. Punchy sentences. Clear ‘calls to action’. Employees shouldn’t be expected to be experts to engage with their benefits.

Be visual and interactive.
Use graphics, video, polls and other assets to make your message memorable. Remember, different people digest content in different ways.

Time it right.
Link messages to moments such as pay reviews, promotions, awareness campaigns and other opportunities to spotlight benefits.

Measure what matters.
Track engagement data and refine your approach based on what you see people reading and acting on (and what they don’t).

Learn, test, repeat.
Every communication is an opportunity to learn. Review engagement data, gather feedback and identify what resonates with people. Small improvements over time can make a big difference.

Stay human.
Benefits are personal - keep empathy at the centre of your message.

2. Your communications checklist

Once you’ve shaped your message, it’s time for a sanity check. The best communications are those that feel clear, relevant, and timely to the audience they’re meant for. We’ve pulled together a quick checklist to help you make sure every message hits the mark before it lands in your employees’ inboxes or feeds.

Before you hit send, ask yourself:

• Have I identified exactly who this message is for?
• Is it linked to a relevant life or work moment?
• Does it speak directly to their needs or goals?
• Is the action I want them to take clear and easy?
• Is it written in the right tone and jargon-free?
• Does it include a visual or interactive element?
• Am I using the right channel?
• Can I measure engagement?

3. Pro tips from our communications webinar

Ready to go beyond the basics? Our communication experts shared a few advanced techniques during the webinar that can take your strategy to the next level. From behavioural science to AI-driven insights, these tips will help you move from simple awareness to measurable impact.

• Apply behavioural science to prompt action, not just awareness.
• Use digital and AI tools to personalise and track what works.
• Build year-round storytelling, not one-off announcements.
  
  Educate first, inspire second, drive action third.

4. Keep the momentum going

Benefit communications work best when they’re continuous, not occasional. Keep the conversation alive throughout the year by revisiting your messages, testing new ideas, and involving your wider team. Here are a few easy ways to stay on track and keep building engagement.

• Rewatch the webinar: Watch on demand
• Share the guide with your wider team.
• Review your communication plan regularly to make sure it stays fresh and aligned with your people’s needs - your Howden consultant can help you identify opportunities for improvement.

Effective benefit communications are an ongoing journey. When you invest time and money in helping employees understand and value their benefits, you’re also investing in their wellbeing, loyalty, and performance.

For tailored guidance on enhancing your communications strategy, connect with your Howden consultant.