5 Steps to Help You Roll Out New Employee Benefits Effectively
When you're ready to roll out new employee benefits, implement the changes in a way that ensures employees understand the option and how to access it.
Being able to offer new benefits is an exciting position to be in. After all, new benefits can not only keep your current employees happy, but they could also create a competitive advantage when you're looking to attract new talent.
But what's the best way to roll out new employee benefits? How do you ensure that everyone understands their new perks — and uses them? And how can you be sure that these offerings are meeting employees' needs?
Consider following these five steps for rolling out new employee benefits.
Get Employee Input Upfront
Don't assume that your employees want a gym membership or pet insurance when they may value student loan repayment assistance more. Rather than guessing at which benefits would be most beneficial for them, take time to get employees' input. Hold a focus group or distribute a survey to gather information about what your employees value most. Then plan your new benefits based on their responses.
Make It Easy to Enroll and Access New Benefits
If you already offer some benefits, incorporate the new ones into your annual enrollment process. If employees can enroll in your firm's health plan online, post information and provide access to the new benefits online, as well.
Communicate Early and Often About the New Offering
Employees will never access benefits they don't know about, so make sure you communicate clearly. Hold a meeting, share information electronically and distribute handouts that detail the benefits. And remember, if you express excitement about the new offering, your employees will be more likely to get excited about it, too.
Measure Engagement
After you've rolled out the new perk, keep track of how many people are taking advantage of it. If you're offering in-office massages but don't have enough participation to keep the massage therapist busy, for example, you may need to reconsider whether this is the right benefit or if it has been communicated sufficiently. If you're providing gym memberships and the majority of your employees are hitting the gym, on the other hand, you're probably on the right track.
Ask for Feedback
Finally, it's crucial to find out whether the new benefit is meeting employees' needs. Solicit feedback from those who are taking advantage of new benefits — as well as from those who aren't. You might consider distributing another survey or just talking to employees about what they like and don't like about the new benefit. Be willing to make tweaks if needed to better meet their needs.
If you have the means to roll out new employee benefits, make sure you do so deliberately and with a clear plan in mind. That way, you'll maximize the effects of the benefits, ensuring that your current employees will be more satisfied and that you'll be better able to recruit new hires who fit in with your firm's culture.
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