In a recent survey of 5,000 U.S. employer-sponsored plan members and 500 HR personnel, researchers found that while employees are generally satisfied with their benefits, people who work in HR are much more fond of the offerings than other employees. Those results sound a little like the reverse of an old cliche. Turns out that at least some of the time, familiarity breeds affection. 

There's a gap between those employees who understand — and take advantage of — their benefits, and those who do not. As an advisor, if you're noticing that your clients are seeing this in their workplaces, you're not alone. Improving the way that employees feel about their benefits improves their overall employee experience — and that can lead to better outcomes on performance, retention, and more.

So how can you help your employer clients close the gap between their employees who are merely satisfied with their benefits and those who really love them? Here are four strategies that you can offer your clients to help get them started.