HR Benefits Fairs—Make them Virtual: Tips and Tricks

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. 

What is an HR Benefits Fair? 

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. 

Why Host a Virtual Benefits Fair?

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:

• Connecting with Remote Workers: These days, it’s relatively common to have at least some remote workers. Hosting virtual benefits fair means employees worldwide can meet and interact with Human Resources representatives and colleagues. Also, if you have multiple offices with new employees, you can help onboard everyone simultaneously at the same event rather than hosting numerous fairs at different locations. 
• Having a Captive Audience: One challenge of an in-person benefits fair is that attendees may not be able to visit all the booths or have all their questions answered. By using a virtual benefits fair platform, you can ensure everyone gets all the information they want. You can build multiple digital rooms and booths and host a keynote presentation that overviews the benefits plan and highlights crucial details. 
• Make the Event More Convenient: Hosting an event online is much more convenient—and sustainable. Attendees can log in from anywhere, and if you record your sessions, they can easily share content with family members and re-watch on demand. 
• Save Money: Hosting your employees and their guests in person is far more expensive than holding the event online. With a virtual benefits fair, you can save on swag, catering, print collateral, etc. 

Top Tips for Virtual Benefits Fairs

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: 

Secure the Best Virtual Benefits Fair Software

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. 

Consider the User Experience

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 Forget about Security and Authentication

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. 

Have Fun Activities Planned

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: 

• Game Shows: Trivia questions and games like Family Feud can ramp up the fun. Offer prizes to winning teams and customize questions to fit your industry, company, and benefits package.
• Scavenger Hunt: Guests can hunt for items in their homes or search for virtual items online. Break everyone into teams and let them work together. 
• Bring on the DJ: Music is always a huge hit for attendees. Invite employees to submit song requests and play music during breaks. You could even tee up some karaoke.

Use Attendee Data and Follow-Up to Your Advantage

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: 

• Verify Attendance: Some employees may not be able to attend or may have to leave early for various reasons. You can see which employees missed the event and/or critical presentations and reach out to them directly afterward. 
• Ensure Enrollment: If you want more employees to sign up for optional benefits, you can see who attended the event, including participating in specific seminars or visiting certain booths. From there, you can verify which employees enrolled in particular packages and follow up with those who may have expressed interest but have not yet taken action.

How 6Connex Can Help Your Event Succeed

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.