Communication Employee Benefits

Parrothead Approach to Benefits Communication

Anne Killian

“I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57 and French-fried potatoes . . . ” Even if you’re not a Jimmy Buffet fan (a.k.a. Parrothead), you can appreciate the fact that everyone likes their burger a little different. Customization is also key when building a benefits communication plan. By building your own benefits communication “burger,” you can ensure employees get the most out of their benefits.

Parrothead Approach to Benefits Communication
Let’s start with the meat, or the content of each benefit communication piece you produce. No one likes a dry hamburger. Make your communication fun and engaging to help win your employees’ attention. Like the perfect burger, a juicy campaign theme will help catch their attention, satisfy their craving for information and inspire action.

[Tips for Great Benefits Communication | Benefit Bits Video]

Second most important: The bun of course. Or in this case, the delivery method of your benefits communication plan. Make sure you are thinking about all of the possibilities you have for communicating with your workforce and really get to know who your audience is. Gluten-free needs a GF bun, low-carb probably doesn’t even want a bun—Texts won’t be effective for a workforce who is not near their phones throughout the day, and newsletters won’t be as impactful with a tech-savvy bunch.

We have the meat and bun basics down; now it’s time for condiments! The most perfect burger is often the simplest, just like an effective benefits communication message. Keep your communication free of jargon and use clear, concise and action-driven language. If you load up your burger with crazy toppings, the flavor becomes diluted and the meat of your message loses its impact. Add-ons should fit your audience preferences and, as we’ve determined, not everyone likes their burger exactly the same.

[Free Webcast—Making the Connection: How to Make Your Benefits Communications Work]

National Employee Benefits Day is coming up on Monday, April 3 and the theme is Benefits Communication. Make sure to visit the Benefits Day website for all sorts of resources and strategies to help you beef up your benefits communication plan.

P.S. My favorite burger additions would include lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, ketchup and pickles. My favorite mode of communication? Probably face-to-face. What about yours? Comment below to share!


Anne Killian
Communications Associate at the International Foundation

Anne Patterson

Communications Associate at the International Foundation

Favorite Foundation service/product: The innovative member survey efforts and results from the research team.

Benefits-related topics that interest her most: Health care, nontraditional wellness initiatives, employee benefit communication.

Personal Insight: It’s all about balance with Anne. She loves to run and enjoys a good culinary adventure. She’ll jump at the chance to travel or to spend fun times with family and friends, but she’ll also take time to catch her breath with an occasional Netflix binge or diving into a classic novel.

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