Connecting with retirees can be difficult. Whether we like it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the retirement population, with many employees being provided with opportunities to retire early. In a survey taken by the Institute for Economic Equity, they estimate, “that there are 3.3 million or 7% more retirees as of October 2021 than in January 2020.” This new wave of individuals entering retirement are vastly different than the previous generations of retirees.
Whereas before, our typical retiree was not confident using technology and avoided using digital forms of communication, this new generation of people entering retirement are much more inclined to be digitally engaged to stay connected. While this incoming set of technologically inclined retirees is still in its infancy, they are an important group to consider when creating outreach models for the future.
Here are Bentek’s top tips for connecting with retirees
- Meet them where they are – listen to your retirees and make notes about their preferred methods of communication. Over time, trends will emerge in how your group of retirees like to be contacted. As a benefit administrator, you can harness these notes and trends to save yourself time and effort.
- Use a mix media strategy – even though we are seeking different methods to save ourselves time and energy when it comes to managing retiree populations, it is important to remember that everyone learns in different ways. Consider incorporating short videos, step-by-step articles, and online-webinars to assist your retirees with learning what their benefits are and how to use them.
- Build trust digitally – retirees can often be leery of emails and other digital outreach efforts due to scams, phishing attacks, and other malicious attempts that frequently target older individuals. To build trust, educate your retirees on safe email practices and what email addresses you will be using to contact them.
- Find the right frequency – every person is different and correspondingly have different wants and needs. Find ways to create customized options to tailor your retiree’s communication preferences. While some people might only want urgent communications about their benefit programs, others may enjoy monthly newsletters on wellness. Find the frequency that works best for you and your retirees.
One-way benefits administrators are looking to simplify their retiree programs is through the use of new software programs, like Retiresweet. If you are interested in learning how Bentek can help you with managing your retiree population, contact us!
