A benefits communication pro should help you put together a strategy that connects your employees to their benefits year-round, and covers all your bases. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Open enrollment season is upon us! As an HR professional, you're either at your wit's end and up to you eyeballs in employee questions, or you're sailing smoothly on a well-designed and implemented enrollment strategy. It all depends on the type of advisor you have.

How well do these statements describe your benefits broker?

1. They know everything depends on the quality of your communication.

A recent Benz Communications study split participants into two groups: employees who said their company's benefits communications were effective, and employees who said their communications were ineffective.

Related: 10 tips to improve employee benefits communication and enrollment

Among the group that said their benefits communications were effective, 76 percent said they were satisfied with their benefits. Among the group that said their communications were ineffective, only 6 percent said they were satisfied.

There's a strong correlation between benefits communications and benefits satisfaction. Great benefits need great communication, because if your employees don't understand the value of their benefits, they won't appreciate them—or the hard work of your benefits team.

Brokers who are benefit communication pros know that the days of "doorstop" printed guides and lengthy meetings are over. A successful—and beloved—benefits package requires top-notch education and personalized decision support.

2. They tailor their message to every client's needs.

A benefits communication pro won't just copy/paste their get-the-word-out campaign. They take the time to understand your company's culture: what's worked in the past, what hasn't worked, and what obstacles you're facing now. Then they craft a communication strategy designed specifically for your company and your employees. They'll use a variety of channels—including some you probably haven't tried—to reach every member of your workforce.

3. They see the link between benefits communication and talent.

According to the 2018 SHRM Employee Benefits report, two of the most common reasons companies cited for increasing their benefits offerings last year were to retain employees (72 percent) and attract new talent (58 percent).

Offering great benefits is essential to landing top talent, especially in this low-unemployment, job-seeker's market. But benefits communications pros know the key to leveraging those great benefits is showing employees—current and prospective—just how valuable those benefits are. Your broker should be able to provide great benefits communications, along with benchmarking data relevant to your industry, so you can meet the needs of your current workforce and attract the top performers of the future.

4. They extend benefits communication beyond open enrollment.

Open enrollment is the Lollapalozza of your benefits year, but it leaves more than empty water bottles and unsold t-shirts in its wake. The choices your employees make during open enrollment will follow them through the rest of the year. Your communication should to do the same.

A benefits communication pro should help you put together a strategy that connects your employees to their benefits year-round, and covers all your bases: onboarding new hires, encouraging smarter healthcare buying decisions, and helping employees manage contributions to their FSAs, HSAs, or retirement accounts. Because even after Lollapalooza ends, the music goes on.

Chad Schneider is senior director of channel sales at Jellyvision, maker of ALEX, an interactive benefits communication software used by more than 1,500 companies with more than 18 million employees in total.

Read more: 

• 6 open enrollment trends to expect among large employers
• Ongoing enrollment communication
• 5 benefits communication tips for brokers in 2019