Don’t wait for enrollment: Communicate year-round

Stephen Hackett, Head of Corporate Benefits, Benifex

Organizations are investing heavily in benefits — but most still aren’t seeing the return they should. Not because the benefits themselves are lacking, but because the communication around them is.

Too often, the education piece is crammed into a three-week enrollment window. That’s not enough time because employees are busy, overwhelmed, and under that time pressure they’re more likely to stick with what they’ve chosen before than explore something new — even if those new benefits would offer more value. As a result, even the most generous benefits packages can go unused and underappreciated.

That’s why education needs to happen all year round — not just at renewal. The communication strategy should be proactive, planned, and, above all, personalized.

And when it is? We see real engagement.

Our own voluntary benefits selection data shows significant rises in certain benefits over the last year, including will writing (up 20%), critical illness (up 15%) life insurance (up 15%), and income protection (up 9%). We’ve also seen huge growth in the number of employees using virtual GP services.

All of this shows that, despite cost-of-living pressures, people are prepared to spend their own money to protect themselves and their families from major life incidents. But only when the value is clear and the options feel accessible. That’s where targeted, personalized communication makes the difference.

For example, many employees might not be able to afford full private medical insurance — but a healthcare cash plan can offer real value at a much lower cost. This kind of guided decision-making is what helps employees feel supported and in control.

Affordability is another critical factor. We’re seeing more employers use flex funds and allowances to give employees greater spending power on benefits — and engagement rises as a result. Meanwhile, some are still reaching into their pensions to balance household budgets. In fact, over £52 million was withdrawn early from pension pots in the UK this year, up 20% from last year.

That tells us two things: employees are feeling the pinch, and they’re willing to prioritize financial protection — if they know what’s on offer and how to access it.

But HR and Reward teams can’t do this alone. Budgets are tight, and benefits often lose out when funding decisions hit Finance. Even when the business case is clear, the value can get lost in translation.

Better using existing data is the key. Providers and partners hold a huge amount of insight — but it’s not always packaged in a way that helps HR leaders make their case. AI and benchmarking can help here, transforming data into compelling, personalized stories and proving the ROI of protection-focused strategies.

And we need to give HR teams the space to plan ahead. Too often, renewals arrive as a surprise. The focus becomes price, not purpose. But when you build a comms strategy that runs year-round, you create room to educate, reflect, and evolve.

This matters because the stakes are high. One in five employers still leaves benefit uptake entirely up to the employee. That’s a missed opportunity to drive engagement, retention, and real-world impact.

If you want people to see the value in their benefits, you have to help them understand it. That starts long before enrollment.

So, if you’re going to offer great benefits, why play at it? Go all in — emphasize the value and help people make the right choices.

Read all expert takeaways from the Benifex Forum here.