Fringe benefits are a great part of workplace culture and can be a big factor for some employees when choosing between jobs. There are some fantastic fringe benefits being offered for 2020, with new and improved benefits coming out every year. As the types of fringe benefits that are offered in the workplace change, so does the workforce itself.
Every year, employers are noticing that their staff is gradually shifting towards more millennials. These younger employees bring a lot of different practices with them compared to older generations of workers, which makes it more difficult for many employers to find ways to effectively communicate with them. However, being able to properly educate staff about a company’s fringe benefits is vital, which is why this article is here to help explain how to communicate to younger employees about fringe benefits.
Switch to Electronic Communications
When is the last time you saw a millennial without a phone? Chances are that it’s been a while since over 90% of the millennial population owns a smartphone. If they do have one, then it is probably rare that it ever goes out of arm's reach.
On the other hand, they are far less likely to always have a physical copy of something with them. So, if a company is still offering printed or hard copies of their fringe benefits packages, then they are making it unnecessarily hard for millennials to access the information. By switching to a digital format, they allow their younger employees to access the information whenever they want either using their email, company website, or employee app.
Make It Relatable
Just listing some benefits and facts on a sheet of paper and handing it to a younger employee will likely cause their eyes to glaze over with boredom pretty fast. When presented with raw data and facts, younger employees are far less likely to be engaged.
A much more effective method is using various anecdotes and stories in order to bring these benefits to life. By presenting them in a story format, younger employees can envision how the fringe benefits affect them and are relevant to their lives.
It is also effective to experiment with different mediums. Replace the boring plain text with images and video. Even if it’s only text, add some color and formatting to make the information pop. If you want your employees to be engaged, they must be presented with engaging content.
Embrace Newer Benefits
There is something to be said about tried and true fringe benefits. However, if employers are looking to improve the lives of their younger employees, then they should be looking forward at the new benefits that are coming out every year. Things like telemedicine are far more likely to appeal to younger employees than the much older fringe benefits that a lot of employers are still offering.
In order to get the best mix of fringe benefits for both their younger employees and older employees, they should integrate some of the classic fringe benefits with a decent amount of newer ones as well.
Once you are able to more effectively communicate your company’s fringe benefits to your younger employees, you will find that your work environment is much better off. To get some help improving other elements of your workplace communication, contact us today.
