Bell Aliant was created when four telephone companies merged in 1999, each with their own group benefits plan. Given the costs and complexities associated with administering the various plans, the newly formed company had to harmonize benefits across the entire employee base.
After examining the existing options, Bell Aliant decided to create a new flexible benefits plan, called flexconnect. Moving to a flexible benefits plan was a significant change for most employees. “We knew we needed to get their attention, which was going to be hard given all the workplace changes these employees were experiencing, we needed to keep it simple so that everybody could understand it, and we knew we needed to roll it out in a timely manner,” says Hugh Paton, senior benefits consultant, with Bell Aliant.
Bell Aliant engaged ACS/Buck Consultants, an HR consulting firm, to help them develop a phased communications campaign to roll out the new plan over a three-year period. Branded with the company’s corporate colours, the campaign included graphics, taglines, characters and storyboards in both print and online media. Instead of the standard printed booklet, Bell Aliant chose to create an online plan guide for employees. Paper-based components included posters, postcards and enrollment kits. Bell Aliant also held face-to-face seminars with employees and virtual seminars for those unable to attend in person.
The communications campaign was a success—97% of employees enrolled in the new plan by the prescribed deadline. “We were thrilled with the rollout results,” Paton affirms. “The whole strategy of getting people’s attention and marketing it to them—it works.” Paton believes that the company’s ongoing communications efforts have also paid off. “We found our costs, after rolling this new plan out, leveled off and remained stable for the next few years…we figure that’s a result of doing better communication than we did before.”
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