The Most Overlooked Part Of Your Benefits Strategy - Your Communications

Employers invest significant time designing their benefits. But even the most thoughtful plan can fall short if employees don’t understand how to use it.

Benefits communication is not just a supporting function. It is what determines whether employees can actually navigate, access, and appreciate what is being offered.

What Employees Need:

Employees don’t need more information, instead they need the right information at the right time. They are not looking for more emails, longer guides, or more complex explanations. What they need is clear, timely guidance that helps them make decisions when those decisions matter.

Most confusion comes down to a few key gaps:

• Not knowing where to go for care

• Not understanding how their plan works

• Not being aware of available resources

• Not having support when decisions need to be made

A strong communication strategy helps close these gaps before they turn into frustration, delayed care, or unnecessary cost.

A More Effective Approach: Support employees before, during, and after enrollment — and throughout the year.

1. Pre-Enrollment (4–6 Weeks Before)

Set expectations early; Give employees time to prepare not react.

Helpful communication during this phase may include:

• A simple overview of what to expect during enrollment

• Reminders about upcoming deadlines

• A checklist of what employees should review before making elections

• Educational materials that explain key terms and plan differences in plain language

2. Open Enrollment (Decision Period)

Make it easy to understand and act; Help employees make confident, informed decisions.

This is when employees need:

• Easy-to-understand plan comparisons

• Decision support tools or guides

• Clear instructions on how to enroll

• Access to answers when questions come up

3. Post-Enrollment (Immediately After)

Reinforce and simplify; Reduce confusion before it starts.

At this stage, employees benefit from:

• A simple recap of what they enrolled in

• Clear next steps

• Guidance on how to access care

• Information on where to find ID cards, provider networks, apps, or support contacts

4. Ongoing (Throughout the Year)

Support real-time decisions; Meet employees in the moment, not just once a year.

Ongoing communication can include:

• Preventive care reminders

• Education on where to go for care

• Seasonal reminders about common health needs

• Information about employee assistance programs, virtual care, or advocacy resources

• Support around life events, such as having a baby, managing a new diagnosis, or planning a procedure

Where Most Strategies Fall Short:

Communication often stops at open enrollment, but employees don’t make healthcare decisions once a year, they make them throughout the year, often under stress.

Without ongoing guidance, even strong plans can lead to:

• Higher-cost care decisions

• Missed opportunities for preventive care

• Frustration and lack of confidence

• Lower perceived value of the benefits package

A More Thoughtful Approach to Employee Experience:

A strong benefits strategy considers not just what is offered but how it’s experienced. That means:

• Keeping communication simple and repeatable

• Using multiple formats to reach different employees

• Providing guidance at key decision points

• Ensuring employees know where to go and what to do

Not every employee absorbs information the same way. Some respond to email. Others prefer printed materials, short videos, text reminders, or live support. A thoughtful communication strategy takes that into account.

At its best, benefits communication helps employees answer simple but important questions:

• Where do I go for care?

• How does my plan work?

• What resources are available to me?

• Who can help me make a decision?

When employees can answer those questions, they are more likely to use their benefits effectively and more likely to recognize the value of what their employer is offering.

If you are evaluating your benefits strategy, it is worth asking: Does our communication strategy make it easy for employees to understand and use their benefits year-round, or are we only communicating during open enrollment?

If you haven’t evaluated your current communication strategy beyond open enrollment, we’re available to walk you through Tandem’s communication playbook - contact us to learn more: info@tandembenefitpartners.com‍ ‍