Once again, I’ve made it through another open enrollment cycle relatively unscathed. A round of applause to all of my human resources collaborators who were in the trenches with me and the rest of the EPIC Communications & Engagement team. Right now, most of us are at the point in the employee benefits plan year cycle where we can enjoy a reprieve and take a few calming breaths before we jump into next year’s planning.
Viewpoints from Jodi Perry
I like to take this time to reflect on changes I saw in terms of employee communications and trends.
The big one in 2021 was the move to text messaging campaigns – so much so that it’s left me wondering why so many companies moved in that direction (aside from me asking if they wanted to give it a try ).
Text messages can be sent and received within minutes and they’re great for reminding employees of various events.
What’s not to love about that? Have an open enrollment meeting in the cafeteria with free coffee and bagels? Send out a reminder message and see your employees flood the cafeteria.
Nearly 100% of people ages 18 to 49 own a cell phone. That means most, if not all, of your employees, have access to text messages – but the question is, do they want to be accessible for employer communications on a personal device?
How about a win-win solution?
We’ve been using an opt-in format that requires employees to text a keyword to a specific phone number to receive text communications. Human resources departments don’t need to give us a list of employees’ personal cell phone numbers. Employers can engage with employees who want to know more (about open enrollment or free food), and employees feel like they still have their privacy.
We’ve had great feedback about our text communications – from employers and employees.
What do you think? Would your employee base be open to text messaging communications? You could always take a poll to find out! Reach out to your account executive to point you in the right direction, EPIC has you covered.
EPIC offers these opinions for general information only. EPIC does not intend this material to be, nor may any person receiving this information construe or rely on this material as, tax or legal advice. The matters addressed in this article and any related discussions or correspondence should be reviewed and discussed with legal counsel prior to acting or relying on these materials.
THE 2022 COMPLIANCE WEBINAR SERIES IS HERE!
