Employee communications: Growing participation in your financial wellness program

It’s important to devise a complete communications plan for your financial wellness initiative, encouraging your people to take part, informing them about the benefits and components, and helping them keep up with their education. It’s worth noting that, according to PLANADVISER, people who are already enrolled in a program are more responsive to messaging than those who are not. For that reason, think about automatically enrolling users at no extra cost, as part of your benefits package.

Here are some considerations to get you started on a communications campaign, from methods to messaging and more.

Methods

Communicating your financial wellness initiative to staff doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. Considerations include the number of people that need to receive each communication, their sophistication level in terms of technology use, where they tend to access the information involved, and the channels your organization has at its disposal (like your website, social channels, newsletters, and staff meetings). A few of the major options:

• Web Portal: If you’ve established a specific password-protected area on your website for employees, you can include financial wellness content alongside standard content like payroll information, retirement account providers, and health insurance details. Absent that scheme, there are no- or low-cost ways to replicate this kind of financial wellness “portal” for employees. For example, Google Docs is a terrific, free resource for creating an invitation-only document center.
• E-mail: E-newsletters are a great way of getting information out to users. Because of their structure, it is easy to include the three major types of messages – informational, educational, and calls-to-action – in one place without bogging readers down in clutter. There are a number of web applications and services that will streamline the design process and record plenty of useful metadata, such as what percentage of receivers opened the email, which links they clicked, and how much time they spent reading it.
• Mobile: Mobile technologies are the new face of personal computing. Some studies show that Americans are spending an average of nearly 3 hours every day on their phones. While a significant amount of that time is spent on web browsers, a majority of the time is spent using apps, including various social networks. Certain apps may be useful, but simple text messages go a long way as well. (Think about the increasing number of services, from dentists to caterers, that now use text messaging as a way to confirm appointments or supply other important information.)
• Video conferencing: Where more information is needed, or participants are seeking a more personal touch, video conferencing is a smart option, allowing providers to talk “directly” to your employees about the details of the program and highlight important features.

With a diverse array of users, it is up to each organization to try out a mix of methods and determine the right balance. The key is to focus on engagement, no matter which method you use: Awareness and understanding will ultimately lead your people to take action. One great way to start is by scheduling an internal discussion (or more than one) using a resource such as Mission:Money to guide you through the topics involved and support understanding.

Messaging

Your audience assessment is also useful to help determine the specific messaging you’ll deploy. Depending on the makeup of your people and the features of the plan you’re offering – in particular, the levels of engagement and education among your workers, as well as their individual financial concerns – you’ll want to deploy messages that inform, educate, and call your people to action.

Informational messages can be used to indicate individual or team progress toward a goal, like completing a specific curriculum. They can also be used to discuss areas of strength and areas in need of reinforcement. If sent in the form of e-mail, informational messages can include additional notes, such as dates for a relevant web conference or links to video lectures.

Educational messages could include supplementary materials that review or introduce financial wellness concepts, including articles, infographics, advice, and anything else that advances someone down the path towards financial wellness.

Call-to-action messages are those that invite your people to participate in the program more generally, or to take active steps to take advantage of specific features.

Planning

Consider creating a communication plan to launch your initiative. This plan should help internal champions understand, in detail, what’s offered by the program, its goals, key dates involved, and the tools they can use to communicate with participants. Here are some considerations:

• What tools will you use to disseminate information, such as financial wellness articles or guides, to staff?
• In terms of messaging, will you simply provide information? Will you integrate your organization’s specific benefit information or links? Is there a participation contest you’ll need to highlight?
• Do you need ambassadors for particular groups or off-site locations? If so, what is the plan to ready these ambassadors?
• What is the length of the communications campaign, and what are the key dates for launch and ongoing messages?
• What is the plan for providing continuous information or education to meet needs?
• How will you keep leadership informed throughout?

Samples

Now that you’ve got a handle on the types of messages, and how to plan for your communication campaign, check out the sample communications below for reference when it’s time to start getting the word out.

Intro for email or web page:

It’s important to take stock of your financial wellness, and set new goals once a year, but knowing where to start can be difficult. No matter where you are on your road to financial wellness, you can determine what’s important for your short-term and long-term fiscal health with [Organization’s] financial wellness web page.

This year, we’re helping you complete the financial check-up and goal-setting process by providing access to Mission:Money, a nonprofit-specific resource organized around vital financial topics like creating a budget, paying down debt, saving for emergencies, funding education, investing for retirement, managing taxes, and making major purchases. Each article includes a list of further resources you can utilize to learn more, craft a plan, and start working toward your goals.

Our financial wellness program also features a number of events and tools designed to help you meet financial goals and address specific financial concerns, like buying a home for the first time or paying off student loans. No matter your goal, [Organization] is here to help and support you.

Email covering key dates:

Dear Financial Wellness Champions,
These are key dates to keep in mind as this year’s Financial Wellness program gets underway.

• March 25: Financial wellness website updates go live
• April 2: Financial wellness campaign begins
• April 15: [Vendor] online seminar “Title”
• May 5: [Vendor] in-house presentation on retirement strategies
• Ongoing: Resources available through our employee intranet and Mission:Money

For social media:

• [Organization] has many tools, events, and other resources available to help you improve your financial wellness. Learn more: [Link]
• Make sure you’re financially well, whether budgeting for the present, or planning for your retirement. Learn more: [Link]
• It’s important to checkin on your financial wellness once a year, but knowing where to start can be difficult. [Organization] has you covered: [Link]
• Determine what’s important in your short-term and long-term financial future with our new goal-oriented resources. Visit [Link]
• Interested in receiving one-on-one counseling to improve your financial wellness? Learn more at [Link]
• The Employee Benefits Portal lets you review your personal retirement plan data and estimate your benefits at retirement. Learn more: [Link]

For more sample communications, and other resources, check out America Saves, a terrific (and free!) source of information, communication, and motivation. There, you’ll find “packets” that round up a variety of resources – blog posts, social media posts, flyers, and more – concerning particular financial topics like tax refunds and paying down debt.

The content on missionmoney.org provides general information and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment professionals based on your specific circumstances. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information; do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here; and take no liability for your use of this information.