Communication strategies for real attention spans

Most Open Enrollment campaigns start with the right intentions: explain the plans clearly, answer questions upfront, and give employees all the information they might need. But even with all that effort, a lot of the message gets missed.

That’s because employees aren’t reading benefits communications in a focused, distraction-free environment. They’re checking them between meetings, while making dinner, or late at night on their phones trying to remember:

• “Did I enroll in the FSA last year?”
• “Which medical plan did I pick before?”
• “Do I actually need to do anything?”

The challenge is helping them quickly understand what matters to them, what changed, and what they need to do next.

Here are three ways to make Benefits communication easier to navigate and process:

1. Acknowledge Decision Fatigue

   By the time employees sit down to review their benefits, they’ve already spent the day making decisions about schedules, finances, appointments, and family responsibilities. Benefits enrollment becomes one more complex choice they have to make.

   A little reassurance can go a long way. Language that feels clear, supportive, and practical helps employees feel less overwhelmed and more confident about what to do next.

   • “If you’re unsure where to start, focus first on the benefits that require action during Open Enrollment.”
   • “We know changing carriers can take some getting used to, but this update brings additional tools, resources, and support.”
   • “Not sure whether a Traditional or Roth 401(k) is right for you? You’re not alone. Financial advisors are available to help.”
   • “Feeling overwhelmed? Support through our EAP is available whenever you need it.”

   You don’t need overly emotional messaging. Just enough empathy to acknowledge that employees are making important decisions while balancing everything else going on in their lives.

2. Help Employees See Themselves in the Benefits

   One reason employees tune out benefits communications is because they don’t immediately see how the information connects to their own lives. Listing plan features alone usually isn’t enough.

   Instead, show how benefits support real situations employees may actually experience. For example:

   • “After an unexpected ER visit last year, Marcus decided to start contributing to his HSA so he’d have money set aside for future medical expenses.”
   • “When Priya welcomed her first child, she reviewed her life and disability coverage to make sure her family had additional financial protection.”

   Examples like these make benefits feel more practical, relevant, and easier to use.

3. Design for Busy People

Most employees aren’t sitting down to read a 24-page benefits guide cover to cover. They’re skimming for deadlines, looking for what changed, and trying to figure out what they need to do next.

That means communications should be designed to help employees find information quickly. A few ways to make that easier:

• Use clear headlines and callouts.
• Keep paragraphs short.
• Cut jargon whenever possible.
• Focus on employee actions and next steps.
• Link to detailed resources instead.

The easier the information is to scan, the more likely employees are to engage with it.

Make It Easy for Employees to Take Action

Employees don’t need to become benefits experts during Open Enrollment. They just need enough clarity and confidence to make informed decisions.

The most effective enrollment campaigns don’t try to say everything all at once. They simplify complex topics, answer common questions before employees have to ask them, and make next steps easy to find.

For engaging benefits communication that employees can quickly understand and act on, reach out to your CPI project manager or contact us at hello@commpart.com.