Study: Millennials Less Likely to Brush Up on Employee Benefits

The 2014 Employee Benefits Communications survey by GuideSpark has given some interesting insight as to how employees – especially those born in the late 20th century – are accessing information about their benefits.

The traditional methods of benefits have fallen by the wayside due to the way people are finding information today. Meanwhile, the emergence of new Web-based communication channels – like mobile and video – are making handbooks and brochures ineffective.

Less than 25 percent of Millennials said the employee handbook was “very helpful,” while 11 percent said they didn’t read it at all. Employees of all ages say that benefits make a significant impact in their decision to choose (87 percent) or stay with an employer.

Some specific information about Millennials have alerted employers to the need for clear and precise messaging about available benefits.

• 56 percent of Millennials wish that their HR directors would communicate benefits packages in more effective manner.
• 51 percent of Millennials agree that they wish to spend as little time possible to examine their employee benefits
• 50 percent of Millennials have never read their employee handbook (compared with 33 percent of employees aged 60+)
• 36 percent of Millennials said that they are unaware of the location of their employee handbook – in print or online (compared with 23 percent of employees aged 60+)

The results of the study indicated that employers must seek out alternative solutions such as multimedia and technology in order to adapt to changes in employee behavior. As it becomes increasingly difficult to engage and communicate with employees, all benefits materials

The March 2014 study featured 551 full-time employees from U.S. companies with 500 or more employees. For the purposes of this survey, Millennials were defined as employees aged 18-29.

GuideSpark includes cost-effective, engaging videos related to human resources issues. The platform is available on any device and provides analytics and an interactive user experience.