HCW Benefits Blog

Contributor:
Chris Tutino, Communications Specialist
Hill, Chesson & Woody

At HCW Employee Benefit Services, we have a number of routine communications that are researched, written and disseminated to our clients, each of which has their own purpose and delivery schedule. The goal is to provide key information in a way that is purposeful, convenient and informative.  These pieces include:

Benefits Bulletins – Whenever one of our carriers has something to report about online resources, policy changes, or anything else that may impact client benefit plans, this brief update gives clients’ group decision makers an overview of what they need to know.

Compliance Alerts – In an effort to keep our clients in compliance with all new and current regulations and guidelines, we send out these detailed alerts as policy and regulatory updates are announced.

Healthcare Curriculums – This piece offers our clients and their employees tips and advice on how to be better healthcare consumers. Our clients often send it to their employees to get them involved in the cost reduction process. The piece also includes an option to download a printable PDF version that is perfect for posting in employee break areas.

Eyes on Benefits – As we strive to keep our clients’ group decision makers abreast of trends influencing the employee benefits market, this monthly executive summary offers news and information affecting the industry and employees. Eyes on Benefits is also sent to a subscription list via email and posted for public viewing on our website.

The question is, “Are these HR communications effective?” As I was reading this follow-up article from an HR Roundtable event in Cincinnati (which I found through a Tweetdeck search I have set for “benefits communication”), the section on “why communication isn’t great” really spoke to me. From the basic elements of time constraints and access to people, to more internal struggles like lack of trust and selfishness, great communication is very difficult to attain but yet a crucial skill to get a handle on.

The article also gets into two other questions that are equally intriguing:
-    What obstacles keep us from effectively communicating?
-    How can HR become the communication hub of the company?

From my viewpoint, human resources professionals are being asked to be more than a resource, which is defined by Webster as “a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.” More often than not, our HR contacts are asked to be proactive (not just “at the ready when needed”) in their communication of various business decisions, including employee benefit plans.

What specific challenges do you face in communicating to your employees, executives and shareholders at your company?