Think back to the last time you started a new job. You’re meeting new people, immersing yourself in the company culture, learning processes and systems, and trying to do your actual job on top of it. It’s like having two jobs at once. In another country. Where you don’t speak the language.
In other words, not exactly a convenient time to really dive into understanding your benefits. And yet, in a normal workplace, that’s exactly when the benefits conversation usually happens. No surprise then that approximately half of all employees don’t understand their benefits (hint: you may be one of them!), according to HRExecutive.com.
Dana Baker, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Complex Care Program, points out an interesting paradox: “Although benefits are the reason many choose an employer, awareness about how the benefits work is really left to chance.”
If you are an HR professional, you undoubtedly have a lot on your plate. But implementing even a few additional steps can make a massive difference for your employees, and end up saving you time in the long run, too.
- Create a toolkit for HR employees to help navigate benefits decision making.
- Make sure that the information being shared is simple and easily digestible.
- Hold reoccurring employee trainings on how to understand the benefits that have been elected.
For further reading, check out this Harvard Pilgrim article’s excellent breakdown of three powerful ways to help employees understand their benefits.
