As the saying goes, first impressions are everything. When an employee is hired, their onboarding process is a key part in determining how they will feel about their new position and your company. Will they be motivated to give their best, day in and day out? Will they want to soak in as much knowledge as they can about their new job and tasks? The way you present your company’s culture matters, but more importantly, the way you communicate your benefits can set the tone for how much you value your employee’s health and happiness and want to help them succeed.

You spend countless hours considering, researching and exploring what health plans, time off opportunities and other benefits will best support your employees throughout the year. You also spend good money for that provided support. A recent news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that the average cost of employee benefits per hour was $11.60 in September 2018. Coupled with the importance of a first impression, the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into your company’s benefits package is reason enough to invest in the communication effort with new hires.

Need a few ideas for how to spice up your new employee’s first experience? Try these on for size:

• Create a fun video that features current employees. Find some people in your company who can sing and dance, and then have them write a song about the highlights of your benefits package. This can be a great way for new hires to get to know a few of the faces around the office while learning about their options.
• Present an interactive PowerPoint that’s visual and will hold their attention throughout their training. Give them plenty of opportunities to ask questions during the presentation, and also ask them questions about what they value most. Their answers might even help you revamp your benefits offerings for the next year or give you some ideas on how to better support your employees.
• Build an online website that takes your new employee through their options and educates them on how to use some of the benefits that may be confusing. A website gives you the ability to provide as much or as little information as you feel is necessary for new employees to get a full picture of what’s available to them.
• Have something cool your company offers, like volunteer hours or wellness dollars employees can use for a gym membership? Highlight these! Make sure your new employee understands how much you care about them and invest in their health, well-being and personal interests.

According to PeopleKeep^®, close to 60 percent of the workforce addresses benefits as “very important.” That means more than half the people you onboard will be focused not only on their new role with the company, but what you provide them to help with their success along the way. Remember this the next time you hire a new employee, and make sure your communication gives them the best chance at understanding how much you care.