It’s that time of year again! For many, Open Enrollment is coming up quickly. Whether you have new providers, big changes, or keeping things status quo, here are communications trends for 2024 you may want to consider.

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, benefits

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, culture, graphic design, psychology, branding, neuromarketing

"Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." - Pablo Picasso

 

Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to encourage you to act, make you feel a certain way and even make your body react. Certain colors have correlations with physical reactions/changes, such as increases in blood pressure, metabolism (yes, please!) and even eye strain.

The psychology of color refers to the impact that different colors have on human emotions and behavior. Color is a powerful tool that can be used to influence the way people perceive and interact with visual information.

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, culture, graphic design, color, psychology, branding

For organizations that are trying to recruit and retain top talent in today’s ultra-competitive job market, company culture should be top of mind.  A strong company culture is an automatic advantage in the war for talent by fostering a sense of loyalty in your current employees and making your organization more desirable to potential candidates. 

A 2019 survey from Glassdoor found that 77% of candidates consider a company’s culture before applying for a job and 56% said a good workplace culture was more important to them than salary. Furthermore, a 2022 Jobvite survey found that 32% of job seekers who had left a job within the first 90 days listed a poor company culture as the reason.

It’s pretty clear to see that company culture can make or break an employer’s recruitment and retention strategy. How can you align your employee communications to ensure that your company culture is consistently and compellingly promoted? Keep reading.

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, benefit package, culture, recruiting, talent

We had a bit of a reprieve for a while there and we collectively took a deep breath. But, somewhere between the dreaded virus (*cough*Covid) crisis, record breaking inflationand an overseas war, the familiar phrase “recession” has reared its ugly head again. 

According to arecent quarterly survey from McKinsey, the second half of 2022 is suffering from a somber economic outlook. In fact,72%of U.S. employees are currently stressed about their finances and nearly 9 in 10 revealed they’re reassessing their financial situation. 

Stress not only impacts your employees’ mental health but also their level of productivity. Employees dealing with financial stress lose, on average, 11.4 hoursin productivity every week – which translates to approximately $4 billionin lost productivity weekly for U.S. employers. 

It’s imperative for businesses to focus on strategic planning and risk management so they can be ready to adapt to any unexpected changes. Your employee communications should supplement and support those efforts. 

Times of financial uncertainty can be difficult to navigate when you have all the information, but when everything is up in the air, it’s obviously even harder. Don’t leave your employees to struggle alone. Here’s how you can help:

Tags: Employee Communications, 401(k), HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, benefit package, financial wellness, economy, inflation, cost of living

As an increasing number of organizations move toward complete pay transparency, the importance of informing employees about exactly how they’re compensated is a key part of the process. Total compensation statements are a way to paint the bigger picture by showing your employees the breakdown of their benefits and rewards beyond just base salary. 

Total compensation, when communicated effectively, can help boost employee engagement, retention and talent attraction while educating employees on how they’re truly being compensated. It’s vital to include the right information, adhere to certain best practices and arm your managers with the tools they need to engage in discussions with employees. 

 

Keep reading to learn how to communicate total compensation to your employees, so you can optimize the outcomes.

Tags: Employee Communications, 401(k), HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, benefit package, compensation statement, financial wellness, eap

When it comes to supporting employees’ mental health in the workplace, the only thing more crucial than communication is action. And, for many employers, a concerted commitment to mental well-being is tied directly to the overall health of the business. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that employee depression accounts for 200 million lost workdays each year and costs employers up to $44 billion. And, outside of the day-to-day cost of distress in the workplace, the toll depression can take on an organization’s culture paves the path for unhappy employees, decreased retention and increased turnover across the board. 

On the flip side, employers who invest in their employees’ mental health see four times the financial return for their business. 

 

In short: It’s always a good time to prioritize mental health in the workplace, and below we’ll walk you through “how.” 

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, culture, wellness, 2022, eap

The Corporate Equality Index (CEI) is a national rating system on corporate policies, practices and benefits as they pertain to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees in the workplace. The CEI is organized and implemented through the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and this year marks its 20th anniversary. 

The CEI is a highly respected tool for weighing organizations on their ability to uphold a diverse and accommodating workplace, and the Annual Corporate Equality Index Report uses it to determine the most inclusive places to work in the U.S. 

Any company who’s committed to prioritizing DEI is likely to strive toward a spot on the CEI list. Keep reading to learn exactly what the Corporate Equality Index is, why it’s vital to maintaining an inclusive company culture and a few key CEI criteria updates in 2023. 

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, culture, 2022, inclusivity, diversity

Now more than ever, employees are communicating with their smartphones and mobile devices. And, with many of them spending as much time (if not more) on their mobiles as their computers, it presents employers with an opportunity to communicate with them right where they are. 

Many companies are integrating their intranets with mobile platforms and adopting more advanced tools to engage and communicate with their employees. 

In this blog, we’ll talk about why mobile matters in the digital workplace and how to effectively leverage mobile communications to better engage your employees. 

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, total rewards, culture, 2022, recruiting, mobile

Some of the highest performing employees are facing personal challenges of their own, which can negatively affect their productivity and the working environment around them. By taking advantage of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), these employees can access professional help from skilled providers like social workers, counselors and lawyers, among others. 

One common pitfall many employers face is lack of employee participation in an established EAP. Whether it stems from subpar communication or certain stigmas associated with getting help for vulnerable issues, many employees avoid actively utilizing the EAP. 

Tags: Employee Communications, HR Communications, Employee Engagement, social media, communication strategy, Marketing, culture, mental health, emotional