Communicating Total Rewards

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Communicating Total Rewards

• G. Scott Seal, CCP
• Intermountain Health Care

www.icbautah.org
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Whats our goal as professionals?

• - Attract the best candidates
• - Hire the most qualified
• - Retain employees
• - Align practices with Corporate vision mission
  objectives
• - Be a benchmark to the community industry

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Why communicate .

• - How a company communicates with employees may
  matter more than pay and benefits in fostering
  employee commitment, satisfaction and retention,
  according to a survey of workers by Mercer Human
  Resource Consulting.
• - The responses suggest that employees at
  companies that keep workers informed about
  matters that affect them and provide workers with
  ready access to the information they need to do
  their jobs are less likely of leaving. 1

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Value of Total Employee Benefits

• According to the Employee Benefit Research
  Institute, employers spent nearly 6 trillion on
  employee compensation in 2001, with over 920
  billion of that estimate accounting for employee
  benefits.2

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Common reasons not to communicate .

• - Poor design or administration (resulting in
  employee confusion) of the reward program
• - Thats the way the culture is around here
• - Its managements responsibility to determine
  pay the employees will have to accept it
• - The more communicating I do, the more
  questions I get, the more explaining, and
  convincing I have to do. I dont have time to do
  my job!

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Comp Benefits Communication
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The Communication Process
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Step 1 - Situation

• - What is the current situation?
• Compensation - Merit, Incentives, Stock, etc.
• Benefits - Managed Care, Defined Benefit to
  Defined Contribution, etc.
• Work Experience - Flexible Schedules, Tuition
  Assistance, etc.

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Step 2 - Objectives

• - Use SMART Goals to set objectives
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable / Audience Specific
• Relevant
• Time Bound / Tied to the Business

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Step 3 - Key Messages

• - The number of key messages for each objective
  should be limited. Stay focused on the
  objective.
• Objective Increase provider participation from
  33 to 50 by the end of 2003.
• Key Messages
• - Current satisfaction levels are above 95.
• - Outcomes are the same as other providers.
• - You do less paperwork through the new
  provider.

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Step 4 - Audience Research

• Questions to Determine the Audience
• 1. Who is your audience?
• 2. What is the current level of understanding?
• 3. What is the fit to culture and corporate
  philosophy?
• 4. How does this project fit with recent or
  upcoming changes?
• 5. Are consistent messages communicated?

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Step 5 - Media Selection

• Media Alternatives
• - Print -
  Internet / Intranet
• - AV - Video
• - Group Meeting - Slide Show
• - One-on-One
• - Workshops
• - Flip Chart

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Step 6 - Implementation

• Complete Communication
• 1. Activity-based
• - Training
• - Employee meetings
• 2. Media-based
• - Print
• - Audio / Visual

Optimal Communication Plans usually employ both
types of communication.
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Step 6 - Implementation Process

• 1. Pre-introduction
• 2. Basic release of information
• 3. Informal network
• 4. Feedback
• 5. Reinforcement

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Step 7 - Evaluation

• 1. Are the communication objectives realistic and
  obtainable?
• 2. Is the information collected valid and useful?
• 3. Are the communication sessions being targeted
  to the appropriate audiences? Is the message
  being assimilated?
• 4. Were the chosen media the most appropriate?

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Conclusion

• ROI of Effective Communication 4
• - Maximize companys returns on compensation and
  benefits investments
• - Promote employee understanding and appreciation
  of total value of package
• - Help employee maintain appropriate perspective
  when changes are made to compensation benefits
  packages
• - Show employees how to use benefits programs and
  realize their full value

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Sources

• 1 Mercer Human Resource Consulting. (Obtained
  through http//www.hrinstitute.info/viewupate.asp?
  Iinternalcommunications)
• 2 Employee Benefit Research Institute, Facts
  from EBRI Employer Spending on Benefits 2001,
  www.ebri.org (October 2002). (Obtained through
  http//www.ebri.org/facts/1002fact.pdf).
• 3 WorldatWork. Module T4 - Communicating Total
  Rewards
• 4 Corporate Leadership Council, Compensation and
  Benefits Communication, Washington Corporate
  Executive Board (June 1998).