Get employees to open and read your HR and benefits emails
Since the invention of email, clients have told us, “Employees don’t read their emails.”
More recently, we hear, “Corp comm wants us to send fewer emails.”
The result is that clients write emails that are stuffed with too much information and too many calls to action, and employees either:
- Open the email, see how dense it is, and close it without taking action.
- Or, worse, they don’t even open the email.
There is a better way. It may feel counterintuitive, yet it will increase your open and click through rates so employees read and act on your messages.
Your subject line is everything
The subject line has one job: to convince the employee to open your email. Try one of these three techniques:
- The Cliffhanger: Try a bold statement that makes the reader look to your email for proof. Example: “You’re paying more than you need to for health care.”
- The Question: Ask a question, then answer it in your email. Example: “Wondering if you’re in the right medical plan?”
- The Number: Digits are attention-getting. Example: “3 ways to use the HSA as an investment.”
Once you have a draft subject line, test it and get suggestions to make it more click-able. Try this Subject Line Tester for subject line ratings and feedback.
Segment to target your messages
Email content that’s “one size fits all” will not convert as well as a segmented email. Segmenting, or dividing your audience into specific groups, allows you to target your message.
Depending on your topic, talk to your internal team to see if you can segment employee email by:
- Age
- Benefit plan selections
- Beneficiaries elected or not elected
- 401(k) contribution levels
More relevant messaging can lead to higher open and click through rates because employees feel like you’re speaking directly to them and their needs.
Keep your content focused
I know it’s tempting to pack your email with all the topics you need employees to grasp. But that’s a surefire way lose their attention.
Pick one message per email and remember to answer the employee’s underlying question, “What’s in it for me?”
Explain exactly what you want employees to do, how to do it, and when you want them to do it.
If you have more than one message, you really need a second email. If your messages are targeted, relevant, and if they deliver value, the extra email won’t be burdensome. (Besides, we all need follow-ups and reminders!)
Use only one call to action
The call to action is just you telling employees what you want them to do: read the enrollment guide, choose benefits, etc. Including only one call to action should be easy if you kept your email content to one topic. So again: no sneaking in “and also don’t forget to do the other thing” because it will backfire.
What you want to do is repeat your call to action in the body of the email and — ideally — in a P.S. for the email skimmers.
Pro tip: link the call to action with a reminder of the value employees get when they take action. Try combining an action verb + “so that” for maximum effect while also avoiding “friction” words that make the action sound like hard work.
Poor CTA: Click to learn more. (No one wants to learn.)
Better CTA: Explore your options to choose the best plans for you. (This sounds like an adventure where the employee is in control.)