In-The-Know
Using Employee Personas to Improve Benefits Communication
In this issue
Explaining benefits can be complicated – employees that don’t understand the benefits offered, or the value it provides in their total compensation often ignore or tune out the message. The result is lower enrollment and ultimately poor outcomes.
Effective communication is key to boosting employee enrollment. Individual employee needs will always differ no matter the company or organization. In order to meet them where they are, it is important to take a closer look at their differences so employers can tailor their communication strategies to help them make informed decisions about their benefits and healthcare needs.
Individuals process information differently and do not always comprehend messages the first time they receive them, whether it's written or spoken. For example, a large meeting involving groups of employees might not provide an opportunity to go over personal health issues and may leave individuals in the dark when it comes to what is available for their specific situation. This will leave questions unanswered and could discourage them from enrolling.
In a workforce defined by diversity—of roles, experiences, priorities, and health needs—delivering the right benefits message to the right person in the right way is more important than ever. Employee personas are becoming an essential tool for consultants and employers looking to improve engagement, personalize strategies, and drive positive outcomes.
What Are Employee Personas?
Employee personas are data-informed, integrated profiles that represent different segments of a company’s workforce (Health Union, 2024; Davis, 2019). They bring together demographics, behaviors, motivations, and challenges to help HR teams better understand employee mindsets (ibid). Originally used in marketing and healthcare (like patient personas), this approach is now proving valuable in the employee experience space (Davis, 2019). As Health Union (2024) points out, personas help move beyond generic messaging by framing people as unique individuals with their own paths, frustrations, and goals. They reveal the “why” behind decisions, not just the “what.”
How to Create and Use Employee Personas
First, gather and analyze the employer’s benefits data for common trends in behavior, attributes and outcomes. Using the data, group employees by shared needs, health conditions, or characteristics, as well as age, gender and role. (Davis, 2019). A few examples could be:
- The Health-Conscious Manager: prioritizes preventive care and wellness challenges
- The Distracted Caregiver: overwhelmed by juggling dependents and needs support for mental health and time management
- The Cost-Sensitive Starter: wants affordable care, easy access, and clear communication
Bring the Personas to Life
Each persona needs a name, a backstory, and key traits. Your clients should ask a set of questions to determine the characteristics of each employee persona. For example:
- What are their goals?
- What kind of information resonates with them?
- What frustrates them about navigating benefits?
- What communication systems work best for each group?
Apply them to the Communication Strategy
Benefit professionals should consider the different forms of communication that could increase the reach to each persona group. Taking into account each personas preferences for onboarding, open enrollment, and available resources all contribute to your client’s employee engagement. For example, some personas may respond best to email or newsletters, while others prefer a one-on-one benefits consultation or mobile apps. Sending SMS reminders for important dates, like enrollment periods or deadlines, helps to keep employees in the loop. Talk to your clients about an “Opt-In” strategy to allow employees to choose how they receive each piece of information.
While the actual benefits package may be standardized across the employee population, consider adopting customized benefits communications for each persona. Messages can be personalized through email subject lines, tailored content in newsletters, or employee group meetings.
Review and Evolve
Just like the workforce, personas aren’t static. Your clients should revisit their tactics regularly to stay in tune with shifting employee priorities, new health trends, or workplace changes. Taking advantage of modern analytical tools to understand what is working and what is not working helps build on existing strategies. Data collected by these tools within each designated platform allows you and your client to track engagement levels.
A Smart Tool for Consultants
Introducing personas into the conversation shows strategic thinking. It demonstrates a deeper understanding of not just product, compliance, or cost—but the people behind the plans. Instead of your clients implementing one general communication plan for the entire employee population, encourage them to apply a “persona story” method, creating messages that address each personas priorities and preferences. When benefits feel tailored to the individual, employees are more likely to understand them, trust them, and use them. That translates to improved satisfaction and lower overall healthcare costs (Health Union, 2024).
By using thoughtful and tailored communication techniques, your clients can simplify and clarify their benefits to improve employee understanding and drive meaningful engagement.
Take Action
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