HR Benefits Fairs—Make them Virtual: Tips and Tricks
Kortney Phillips
Oct 27, 2022 11:00:00 AM
One of the best ways to retain your employees is to offer comprehensive benefits. Workers often stay at a company because of the positive work culture and benefits package. In fact, up to 80 percent of employees would rather have benefits than a pay raise. This means it’s essential to ensure your employees are aware of your benefits programs and taking advantage of them.
A virtual benefits fair is an excellent way to educate all your employees on your benefits plans and programs. If you’ve never considered taking your benefits fair online, now’s the time! Let’s dive into the ins and outs of an HR benefits fair and how event management platforms can help.
The primary goal of a benefits fair is to showcase the various benefits and perks employees receive from their employer. Typical benefits include health insurance, retirement plans (i.e., 401k), pension packages, life insurance, and more. While employees can typically access information about these programs through an employer’s HR portal or collateral, a benefits fair allows them to ask questions and better understand what’s available. You may also invite representatives from third-party providers, such as health or life insurance reps, to participate in your benefits fair and answer questions.
Another advantage of hosting a benefits fair is that it is an excellent way to bring everyone together. Savvy HR teams will not only use the opportunity to provide benefits overviews but also include activities that make the benefits fair, celebratory, and fun. This will improve turnout and engagement. Benefit fairs are also an opportunity for new employees to meet and network with co-workers and get to know them better.
In the old days, benefits fairs were in-person events where all company employees (and sometimes family members) would come together to learn about their benefits. However, holding the event virtually has become more normalized as it increases accessibility. In many cases, it makes more sense to host the event online because of advantages such as the following:
The task may initially seem a bit daunting if you’ve never hosted a virtual event before. Fortunately, event planning can be simpler than you might think with these pro tips:
First and foremost, a virtual event is only as good as the platform you use. If you’re hosting your event on a site like Zoom, it can be hard to simultaneously engage more than a few dozen people. Consider platforms like 6Connex, which allow you to build a virtual 2D or immersive environment and enable attendees to explore a digital space. Top-tier programs are very user-friendly and allow for easy customization.
Ideally, everyone attending the virtual benefits fair will be tech-savvy and know how to participate with their computer or mobile device. Realistically, some people may not be as well versed on how to log in and navigate through a virtual experience. Therefore, when planning a virtual benefits fair, over-communicate instructions to ensure everyone can access the platform and take full advantage of its activities. This may come in the form of a pre-recorded tutorial delivered as a pop-up video or assigning a live ‘host.’ A live host is who interacts with the attendees and walks them through the event and the technology.
Don’t overlook the solution provider’s cybersecurity capabilities. You must ensure attendee information and all your data collected throughout your virtual event are secured to the highest standards, with end-to-end encryption and no local applications for hosts or attendees to install. Look for certifications such as ISO 27001 and security controls to minimize exposure to personal data and ensure data is accessed as intended.
Although employees may be eager to learn more about their benefits packages, an agenda with nothing but one-way presentations can be a little dry. To keep everyone engaged, consider incorporating some gamification or various virtual games and activities such as:
One of the best things about virtual events is tracking attendee behavior. You can use this data to your advantage in a few different ways, such as:
Hosting a virtual, hybrid, or in-person benefits fair is simple. At 6Connex, we handle all the technical details so you can focus on what’s really important—content. We’ll also develop customized solutions for your company, so your benefits fair meets your unique needs. Contact us today to learn more about our solution features and schedule a demonstration.