According to Forbes, millennials will make up at least 75% of the American workforce by 2025! That’s just 7 years from now. And these young professionals have various attitudes, expectations, needs & desires when it comes to benefits, according to Employee Benefits News.

A good example: millennials expect (among other things) a flexible work environment in a technology-enabled job that meets their professional and personal goals. EBN explains that to meet those demands, some employers are turning to voluntary benefits, with offers such as pet insurance, extended leave, counseling services and financial education.

The problem, according to EBN, is that many employers are falling short when communicating the value of these voluntary benefits packages (and all benefits for that matter). Research has shown that millennials are often “less engaged” with those benefits and also have little knowledge about the value of their benefits and the details of their plans.

We want to help you avoid this problem by equipping you to effectively communicate with this young generation. Here’s what we’ve learned:

  1. Drive the details home on voluntary benefits, and benefits in general, in creative ways.Handing out printed materials with some basic information, or pointing people to a website is not enough. Employers are increasingly taking advantage of more unusual channels, such as test messages alongside direct emails, and other common media. The point: Go where your employees are! And for this generation, that means optimizing communication for mobile!Engage them with social media, video, online resources, interactive tools, and text messages.
  2. Personalize & Humanize Your Communications
    Millennials – like most – want to be acknowledged as unique individuals! So even if your message is being sent to the masses, address them individually. This will create a sense of warmth and draw their attention. Use “You” as often as possible, and – even better – use their name!
  3. Get a Testimonial From a Peer
    The voice of a peer carries a lot more weight for the millennial than the voice of a leader. So when you’re implementing a change, sell your millennial employees by harnessing the power of the peer! Have them share how the change will benefit (or has benefited) them!
  4. Use Common Language
    Millennials – as a whole – are not as savvy about benefits, and are unfamiliar with the technical benefits jargon. Using everyday wording, and simplifying complex ideas, will keep them engaged.
  5. Reflect Your Employees’ Priorities
    Benefit packages are designed to appeal to employees of all ages, but different workers have different priorities, and that ultimately comes down to life stages (generations). Millennials, for example, are interested in paying off school debt. Gen Xers are looking for ways to save for their kids’ education! Baby Boomers are most often interested in tax-saving opportunities. Our suggestion is to make personalized recommendations that reflect your employee’s priorities in life at that time!

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