Represent: Appoint an Employee Benefits Ambassador

Create a comfort zone and fill a communications gap by giving your employees a supportive, passionate, go-to connection they can turn to for benefits real-talk.

Jolene was juggling her aging mother’s healthcare and everyday needs, like rides to the doctor and picking up groceries. At the same time, she felt alone, helpless against her own chronic condition, and overwhelmed by a stack of specialist referrals, lab tests, and unanswered questions, all while navigating her employer benefits.

There was no time to go to the gym, and she was too tired to prepare healthy meals at home. Her children’s activities consumed free time when she wasn’t in the office or helping mom. Her diabetes was shoved to the back burner.

Then Jolene realized she wasn’t alone.

Following a benefits enrollment information meeting, a colleague shared with Jolene that she had been in her shoes and was “coming out of the fog.”

Rayanne and two other teammates had volunteered to serve as the company’s employee benefits ambassadors. Leadership created this role after recognizing an understanding gap between information explained on the company intranet and real-talk communication among employees. What benefits are available? How can employees best use them and which providers are in network? How can they manage everyday and long-term healthcare challenges, and how do company benefits support better health outcomes?

Let’s face it, "benefits speak" is a different language. Rayanne and her ambassador teammates are translators.

For many people, telling a peer, “I’m so overwhelmed by this paperwork, and I’m not getting answers from my doctors,” is a lot more comfortable than asking a question during a meeting. Benefits ambassadors like Jolene can open important dialogues by sharing their own journeys, or those of family and friends they have supported and encouraged.
Jolene is a persona that may represent a passionate, knowledgeable person at your organization. Rayanne (also fictional) may be just like a number of your employees or their family members who utilize your benefits.

Does your organization have an advocate or benefits ambassador team in place, someone peers trust and respect? Who’s connecting the dots?

Maybe this employee benefits ambassador role is an empty seat you should consider filling as we enter open enrollment.

Consider the role of influencers in engaging an audience with brands. According to Matter Communications, 69% of consumers are more likely to trust people they consider relatable for advice on what to buy. In the retail marketplace, these voices connect through online and social platforms.

In the workplace, this engagement is authentic, real-time, human, empathetic, and supportive. The result of an easy-to-approach ambassador who is walking in team members’ shoes or just “gets it” is less absenteeism and healthier, more productive workers.

But there’s a big difference between being an influencer and ambassador. This is key. Ambassadors believe in your culture, they live it and walk it. They have a contagious spirit. They are giving with their energy, sharing relatable experiences that help others make their own decisions or navigate health benefits obstacles, knowing a peer is there to back them up.

They want to reserve time to help others. And team members feel at ease asking them one-off quick questions, running scenarios by them on the fly, or having deeper more private discussions, entrusting in them as confidants.

Your organization has an ambassador and likely more than one—perhaps a handful of people. These benefits champions can fill a communication gap by connecting team members to the benefits you offer and helping them understand the offerings.

So, where to start?

The good news is you don’t have to build an ambassador program from scratch. The model has been implemented and repeated across industries, so consider borrowing from these best practices and adapt them to your organization.

• Identify team members who demonstrate true enthusiasm for your organization, its values and the employee benefits.
• Consider communication skills, leadership qualities, character (a positive mindset) and how team members engage with peers. Are they a go-to for sharing ideas and asking questions?
• Create a framework for the program and assign a defined role to ambassadors. Consider naming an ambassador for every department, for in-office and out in the field, or however your organization is structured. Accessibility is key.

Most important, ask why this role is so important to the ambassadors you’re considering. Why do they want to make a difference, and how will they connect with team members.

We talk a lot about employee engagement and guiding employees through open enrollment, helping them elect benefits and understanding what your organization offers. But often, employees want to hear from a peer who can level with them, share honest insight, and act as a sounding board.

If you haven’t already, consider this concept of ambassadorship. And let us know how it impacts your organization’s benefits participation and plan utilization.

About Health Action Council 
Health Action Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization representing mid-and large-size employers that enhance human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration. It provides value to its members by facilitating projects that improve the quality and moderate the cost of healthcare purchased by its members for their employees, dependents, and retirees. Health Action Council also collaborates with key stakeholders – health plans, physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry – to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the community.