You know all about personal and corporate credit scores and how they affect things like your interest rates and credit limits. In fact, you probably take great care to protect that score or have taken steps to make it more favorable.
But have you ever taken into consideration how your benefits stack up and what they say about your business? Just as your credit score is an indication of how you handle your money, your perceived “Employee Benefits Score” tells your existing and potential employees how you value and manage your most important asset.
Just like loans and other financial instruments, benefit plans renew each year. Rates change, and employees are forced to make tough decisions about coverage. Those factors affecting their decisions are what make up your Employee Benefits Score.
There’s no official source you can use for determining your Employee Benefits Score. In fact, it’s not even a quantifiable value. Rather it’s the general perception people get from, not only WHAT benefits you offer, but also HOW you’re communicating them. Here are the three main components of your EBS and how they can be improved.
Understanding and Engagement
It doesn’t matter how great your benefits are if your employees can’t understand them and be prepared to make the decision that’s best for their family. Annual enrollment meetings are historically underwhelming, with many employees leaving more confused than they were when they walked in.
A good idea is to conduct a survey of your employees. Find out which benefits confuse them the most. What is it they need to learn and in what format do they want to get the information they need? Don’t overlook the value of technology in communicating about benefits (i.e. email, text, or online).
The Enrollment Process
No one really enjoys annual enrollment. For most it’s something we hurry through as quickly as possible, often spending less time analyzing and comparing benefits than we would spend shopping for a new TV or refrigerator.
As an employer, it’s important to go above and beyond to make sure your employees are engaged in this process. Evaluate what’s worked in the past and ways you can improve. Should spouses be involved in the enrollment process? Would an interactive decision support tool help your employees make better decisions when the enrollment period rolls around?
Cost
There’s no getting around the fact that cost will always be a driving factor in how satisfied your employees are with their benefits. And it’s in your best interest to do everything within your power to make sure they have access to coverage they can afford, even if it’s through voluntary benefits that may cost nothing for you but might make a world of difference for them.
Keeping your employees healthy benefits everyone over time. Healthy employees are happy employees, and happy employees are more engaged, positive, and productive. Give us a call if we can help improve your Employee Benefit Score and, ultimately, your bottom line.