Say what? The critical role of communications in a global benefits rollout

When it comes to implementing a new HR tech solution, content and communications can all too often be overlooked. Effectively communicating the information an employee needs around access to benefits or funding at an employee level helps to create the consumer-grade experience that people have come to expect from their organisations. Certainly, in our experience, the most successful benefits rollout schemes have data-driven communications at their core.  

Talk to your people, people! 

Nailing your comms is important pre- and post-rollout. For a start, speaking to your employees about the benefits offerings, or reward schemes is the best way to gauge the appetite for the particular providers you are considering. Is wellbeing a priority? Do they want more discounts on food bills or fuel to negate rising living costs? Is sustainability a key consideration? Use surveys, and focus groups and instruct the local HR teams to deep dive into the employees’ wish list to really understand what your people want – and expect – from a benefits platform.  

No comprendo 

Another consideration is the language challenges that can exist from country to country. Having a simple user journey for your entire benefits and reward programme that is globally consistent while still tailored to cultural considerations, local language and currency can really make the whole process a lot smoother. In fact, our Great Expectations Report, showed that 84% of respondents put regular, engaging workplace communications in their priority list, showing just how critical getting your comms right is.  
 
As Compensation and Benefits Manager at Salesforce, Tatiana Beidar, used the company comms to really create a buzz around their new platform rollout and get her people on board: “Looking back, the employees wanted a technological solution. Getting them used to it does require a change of behaviour; historically, our intranet site and our internal knowledge base had been the two key areas for finding benefits information. We created a lot of buzz around our new platform launch, which naturally led our employees to search the new site, but to help affirm this, we simultaneously retired the intranet site; it became a single page that pointed people to the platform. Then, we streamlined the internal knowledge database, and it directed employees to the new platform. We just took every opportunity to nudge employees towards the new platform and gradually change that behaviour.”  

Are you on brand? 

Once everything is in place, providers selected and rollout is poised and ready, you need to check that your messaging is on point and that are you optimising all the benefits of the platform. We know from our own research that 83% of employees expect consumer-grade technology for international benefits so are you letting your people know that this is what they are getting with the new platform? Have you got your branding and marketing right? Fine-tuning these elements really can make the difference between employee engagement and apathy.  

 
We know that communication is key at every stage of the rollout process.  Whether it’s the start of the journey gathering opinions on the benefits people want or garnering feedback during the evaluation post rollout, encouraging them to access the platform to stay abreast of organisational comms, or encouraging your people to interact, discuss their needs, preferences and expectations. All of this can be implemented with the right solution. 

Our latest report Global Benefits Tech: Getting it right first time  explores all the things HR directors need to put in place to ensure they manage the process efficiently and successfully, and comms is at the heart of it all. 

The report walks you through each step in the rollout, with tips and advice on getting it right. If you are planning on going global, this is the report you need to read.