Let’s think for a moment about the employees that make up a workforce and the health and wellness needs they have.
For example:
- A millennial mom was recently diagnosed with cancer and is worried about how she’s going to pay for treatment.
- A Gen Z employee who isn’t planning on having children but is willing to spend a lot more than previous generations on her pets.
- A Baby Boomer who’s nearing retirement and is thinking about how he’s going to cover the costs of long-term care as he ages.
A standard medical plan alone won’t meet all these distinct needs. That’s why voluntary and supplemental benefits are becoming a top priority for employers:
As a broker, you’ve helped your clients build a well-rounded benefits package. But for employees to fully take advantage of them, they need clear, accessible education—something that’s often missing.
The communication gap: why employees often overlook voluntary and supplemental benefits
New research shows that despite your clients’ best efforts to offer a comprehensive benefits package that meets every employee need, employees are still not understanding or engaging with the right resources for them.
It’s not that employees don’t want to take advantage of the supplemental benefits offered. They’re just not receiving enough information to make informed decisions beyond their medical plans:
It’s not that employees don’t want to enroll in voluntary benefits—they just aren’t receiving the right information at the right time.
Why traditional benefits communication isn’t working
Most current strategies fail to personalize guidance, demand too much of HR teams, and don’t leverage technology effectively:
1. Lack of personalization
An email or benefits packet isn’t enough to help employees understand which supplemental benefits are right for them, and it certainly doesn’t put each employee’s unique needs at the center. Employees want tailored recommendations.
2. Inefficient use of your clients’ time.
HR teams often spend countless hours explaining supplemental benefits to employees one-on-one and answering ongoing questions—time that could be spent improving the overall employee experience.
3. Missing key technology solutions.
There are so many ways that technology can help compile all of your clients’ benefits offerings and only recommend the ones that are most relevant to their individual employees. And the right technology can help your clients engage employees year-round when they’re actually using their benefits—sending reminders and answering questions on the devices they’re already using, like their phones and laptops.
A modern approach to benefits communication
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of having to revamp your client’s entire benefits communication strategy this year, now’s the time to breathe a sigh of relief.
Interactive benefits decision support tools, like ALEX, simulate a natural back-and-forth conversation with a friendly benefits expert and are available to employees 24/7. Not only that, but ALEX uses behavioral science techniques to overcome employees’ preconceived notions of supplemental benefits, show value, and drive behavior change. ALEX is there to help guide employees through their options in a way that feels natural and intuitive.
ALEX helps employees navigate their full benefits package, including:
✔ Long-Standing Voluntary Benefits
- Life & AD&D Insurance: Financial protection for loved ones
- Accident Insurance: Coverage for unexpected injuries
- Critical Illness Insurance: Support for major medical diagnoses
✔ Newly Expanded Offerings
- Pet Insurance: Financial protection for furry family members
- Cancer Insurance: Support for unexpected health challenges
- Hospital Indemnity Insurance: Coverage for costly hospital stays
- Permanent Life & Long-Term Care (Coming Late 2025): Plan ahead for financial security
Behavioral Science-Backed Recommendations
ALEX helps employees see the real-world value of voluntary benefits and make confident enrollment decisions.
24/7 Availability
Employees can access benefits guidance anytime, anywhere, in English or Spanish, via text or audio.
Personalized Education Year-Round
ALEX proactively nudges employees with reminders and insights based on their specific needs.
Seamless Digital Access
Employees can engage with ALEX from their mobile phones, no company email required.
How Decision Support Tools Transform Employee Wellness
Voluntary and supplemental benefits guidance—on your terms
For brokers, ALEX provides a modern, data-driven way to educate employees and increase voluntary benefits adoption without adding extra work for HR teams.
- Personalized engagement: ALEX uses claims and census data to identify the employees who would most benefit from supplemental benefits offerings and delivers tailored recommendations.
- Seamless accessibility: Supplemental benefits support is available in both ALEX Benefits Counselor and ALEX Go, so employees can access the guidance they need in an audio or text-based format, in Spanish or in English, on the device that works best for them. The best part? They don’t even need a company email address or laptop to use the platform.
- Scalability for any workforce: ALEX is there no matter the time of day or day of the week and adapts to any company size, supporting employees whenever they need guidance. That means HR teams can spend less time answering supplemental benefits questions and more time on projects that will further improve the employee experience.
Upgrade your clients’ benefits communication strategy
Employees won’t enroll in voluntary benefits unless they clearly understand how these benefits support their health and financial well-being. With ALEX, brokers and employers can bridge the education gap, increase benefits adoption, and improve employee satisfaction—without overwhelming HR teams.
