Reaching the Real Decision Makers: How HR Can Engage Households in Employee Benefits Enrollment

For many HR professionals, employee benefits communication focuses on a single audience: the employee. But here’s the reality—critical benefits decisions are often made outside the workplace, with input from spouses, partners, and even adult dependents. Ignoring the broader household can result in lower engagement, misinformed elections, and underutilized plans.

To drive better enrollment outcomes, HR teams must extend their communication strategy beyond the workplace and into the home. This blog post will explore practical, actionable ways to engage the full household, with a special focus on tools like self-mailing postcards that reach decision makers directly.

Why Household Engagement Matters

According to numerous employee benefits surveys, spouses and partners are among the most influential voices in benefits decision-making—especially when it comes to health insurance, life insurance, and long-term financial planning. These individuals help evaluate plan choices, compare coverage options, and balance premiums with household budgets.

In addition, employees often lean on adult children, caregivers, or financial advisors for guidance—particularly in multigenerational homes or when choosing plans for dependents with chronic health conditions or specialized needs.

Failing to reach this extended decision-making unit results in:

• Confusion about plan choices
• Misinformed elections
• Missed opportunities for wellness programs or savings accounts
• Higher post-enrollment questions and call volume to HR

By taking a household-first approach to benefits education, HR can empower more informed, confident choices—and ease the administrative burden during open enrollment season.

1. Use Two-Sided Self-Mailing Postcards to Reach the Home

One of the most effective, underutilized tools in the HR communication toolkit is the two-sided self-mailing postcard. These physical mailers are cost-effective, visually impactful, and—most importantly—don’t need to be opened to be read.

Why postcards work:

• Direct visibility: The key message is front and center the moment it’s pulled from the mailbox.
• Shared visibility: Mail is typically handled by spouses or other household members, not just the employee.
• Perceived importance: Physical mail often feels more urgent and important than emails or digital reminders.
• No login required: Unlike portals or PDFs, postcards require no password or device to access the information.

Tip: Use bold, clear language such as “Open Enrollment Starts Soon – Compare Plans with Your Family Today” or “Benefits Choices Impact Everyone at Home.” Include a QR code or short URL for fast access to digital resources.

2. Craft Messaging That Speaks to the Entire Household

Too often, benefits materials use jargon or technical language focused only on the employee. To engage spouses and dependents:

• Simplify explanations: Clearly outline what’s changing, what’s new, and what actions need to be taken.
• Use inclusive language: Refer to “your family,” “your household,” or “you and your loved ones” rather than “employees” only.
• Highlight family impacts: Showcase benefits like family coverage, telemedicine, mental health resources, and dependent care FSAs that directly support household well-being.

This inclusive approach helps make the information feel relevant and actionable to everyone involved in the decision-making process.

3. Time Communications Around Life at Home

Instead of relying solely on work hours and intranet posts, schedule benefits communications at times when household discussions are most likely:

• Mail pieces can arrive before or during a weekend to encourage discussion when families are together.
• Emails or text reminders can be sent in the evening, when employees are more likely to review them with a spouse.
• Webinars or virtual info sessions can be held outside of work hours and open to spouses or dependents who wish to attend.

Offering flexibility and accessibility ensures that your message reaches beyond the 9-to-5 workplace window.

4. Invite Spouses to Benefits Meetings and Webinars

Make it easy and explicit that spouses and partners are welcome to attend open enrollment meetings—especially virtual ones. You can:

• Provide a calendar of events that includes family-friendly times
• Create spouse-targeted invites with simple registration
• Record sessions and share the link so it can be viewed later

Offering “Bring Your Spouse” sessions or co-branded spouse invitations increases the likelihood that the employee will consult their partner—and do so using reliable information.

5. Create Household-Friendly Benefits Materials

Traditional HR documents aren’t always accessible to those outside the company. Create resources that are:

• Mobile-friendly: Optimize benefit guides and plan comparison tools for smartphones and tablets.
• Publicly accessible: Share materials on a dedicated, non-password-protected landing page so spouses can view them without the employee having to forward a file.
• Visual and concise: Use infographics, plan snapshots, and comparison tables to simplify complex information.

Include real-world examples or scenarios like, “Choosing a plan when you have young kids,” or “Comparing coverage for a family of four,” to make the options more relatable.

6. Leverage Text and Email Campaigns with Personalization

Many organizations have the ability to collect personal (not just work) email addresses and mobile numbers during onboarding or annual updates. Use this to your advantage by:

• Sending reminders directly to employees and their partners (with consent)
• Customizing communications based on life stage or family size
• Offering brief, plain-language messages with links to resources or deadlines

Example:
“Hi Alex, don’t forget that open enrollment starts this Monday. Talk with your family this weekend to decide what coverage fits best. Visit [link] to get started.”

7. Partner with Your Benefits Vendors

Your health insurance carriers, wellness vendors, and voluntary benefit providers often have prebuilt tools designed to support household engagement. These can include:

• Co-branded digital guides
• Family-focused videos or explainers
• Decision support tools
• Multilingual content for diverse households

Ask your vendors what’s available and incorporate those tools into your communication strategy.

Conclusion

In today’s complex benefits landscape, the decision-making process rarely ends at the employee’s desk. Spouses, dependents, and household advisors all play an important role in evaluating and selecting benefits that align with financial goals and health needs.

By strategically engaging the entire household, through tools like two-sided self-mailing postcards, spouse-friendly webinars, and inclusive messaging, HR professionals can drive smarter, more confident elections. The result? Fewer post-enrollment headaches, higher benefits satisfaction, and a stronger perception of your organization’s investment in employee well-being.

Remember: Empowering the whole household is the next frontier in benefits communication—and it starts at home.