The role of HR today parallels that of a public relations professional. Yet while today's HR professionals are well versed on compliance issues, they are not likely to have a background in public relations or marketing. This is problematic, since developing and distributing communications that rise above the din, get read, and prompt action is integral to the success of all benefit offerings - medical, retirement, supplemental, and voluntary. The acceptance and, ultimately, success of many of these programs often fail due to inadequate promotion and low utilization.
Little has been written on benefits communication beyond the general guidelines that tell HR professionals, for example, to make sure that their message is clear and concise. While that time-honored advice is certainly valid, it doesn't address the specific challenges that HR faces in holding down costs while ensuring that employees make informed choices and make full use of the benefits available to them.
Need validation? A recent study by management consultants McKinsey & Co. showed that only 44 percent of those surveyed were as satisfied or more satisfied with their consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) compared to their previous health plan ("Consumer-Directed Health Plan Report: Early Evidence Is Promising," June 2005). Surprisingly, the majority's lack of satisfaction had nothing to do with cost. The respondents' level of satisfaction was directly tied to how well their employers communicated plan changes to them and whether they supplied the right tools and information to assist in their healthcare decision-making.
Lessons from PR practices
At its root, PR is about image. A PR professional is charged with projecting and being the voice and image of the client in the eyes of the media contacts and analysts who ultimately influence the purchasing patterns of potential customers. Today's HR professional is similarly tasked with communicating the corporate message (i.e., policies, procedures, and benefits) to its client's customers - namely, the organization's employees. Effective PR practices provide valuable lessons that can be applied to benefits communications to ensure that your message reaches its intended audience, makes an impact, and drives employees to take action.
Get the news out. Successful PR is all about getting the message out repeatedly and consistently. With the economy improving, employees are expected to consider different job options-and benefits packages are a significant deciding factor. Do your employees know their total worth in terms of employer-provided benefits and compensation?
A recent MetLife study ("The MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends: Findings From the 2004 National Survey of Employers and Employees") indicates that just 31% of workers give their companies' current benefits communications program high marks. One reason for the dissatisfaction may lie in employers' inability to communicate the large investment they are making in company-funded benefits. More than one-third (39%) of employees age 21-30 - and 28% of workers overall - believe that their company spends less than $1,000 per employee annually on medical insurance. Nearly half (49%) believe that their company spends less than $2,000. Nationally, companies spend an average of $7,289 per employee annually for family coverage and $3,137 for single coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust.
Make sure employees know the full value and extent of the benefits you are offering. The concept of total rewards is catching on, and many benefit software solutions offer real-time benefit and compensation statements with easy online access.
Know your audience. A PR campaign is typically handled in two stages. First, a press release is broadly distributed to gain maximum exposure. Second, follow-up queries are developed, targeted, and tailored to specific media outlets to appeal to the interests of the intended audience.
Let's look at pension benefits as a case in point. In the MetLife survey, only 40% of employees (and 29% of those age 21-30) reported understanding which pension benefit offerings best met their needs. HR must differentiate among employees (for example, young single workers versus those nearing retirement age) and ensure that individuals have access to the information that pertains to their individual circumstances.
Survey the workforce to determine what support and resources they need to make better-informed decisions. In the survey, almost half (43%) of all employees said that they would like their employer to provide them with access to a financial planner to help make decisions about how to invest their 401(k) money.
Publicize case studies. There's no better PR than having your client's customer go on record extolling the value of the product or service being provided. In HR, focusing on an individual and his or her success with a particular program resonates with the workforce. An employee who has successfully completed a smoking cessation or weight management program can provide invaluable testimony to the efficacy of your wellness or employee assistance program (EAP) benefit.
Focus on context and timing. In PR, you need to determine how and when to obtain optimum exposure for a news item, such as a new product announcement. In this case, the strategy would be to time the release to coincide with the opening of a significant industry trade show. For HR, open enrollment season is an ideal opportunity to communicate plan changes, new options, and other key information to the workforce.
Make it personal. In PR, you are more apt to get a writer interested in a story query by personalizing it - the more you know about the writer and his or her interests, the better your chances of getting read and prompting action. The same goes for HR communications. Some benefits administration systems have the ability to send out a greeting triggered by a personal event, such as a birthday, and be able to push out a coupon for a complimentary dinner at a local restaurant. The goal is to get the employee's attention and draw attention to the fact that the company offers work/life benefits. In addition, you may choose to piggyback a related HR or benefits message while you have the person's attention.
Spin vs. traction
In recent years, public relations has become synonymous with "spin" - the artful shaping of language to create a certain perception. The implication is that the practice is misleading and manipulative, as is too often the case. However, the PR approaches I've outlined and advocated are about "traction." Ultimately, both PR and HR are about branding. HR communications should command attention and prompt action to the extent your public - in this case, your workforce - views all communications as meaningful, pertinent, and actionable.
Of course, there are degrees of pertinence and urgency and not all HR news or information carries equal weight, but sustaining a steady drumbeat of communications combining all the standard PR tactics described above will build your organization's brand. In turn, this will go a long way in cultivating a more HR-attuned workforce, maximizing the returns on all your initiatives.
Charles Epstein is president of BackBone, Inc. (www.backboneinc.com), a public relations, marketing communications and business development firm. Contact Mr. Epstein at che@backboneinc.com. Michele S. Rubin is a senior account manager and heads BackBone's HR practice. Contact Ms. Rubin at micheler@backboneinc.com. - E.B.N.
