Dive Brief:

• When it comes to communicating with and engaging employees about their benefits plans and choices, email is on its way out — and social media just may be the next big thing, according to Employee Benefits News.

• EBN reports that the overwhelming success of commercial social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, among others, is driving the trend. Internal corporate social networks that mimic those consumer platforms tend to boost collaboration, spread important company news and create deeper connections between employees. Many are now turning to such platforms for benefits communication.

• Internal social platforms and networks can similarly foster collaboration like Facebook and Twitter while improving workforce-wide communication and maybe even boosting morale or employee engagement, EBN reports. Employees have a new voice as well as a familiar tech platform they probably use daily outside the job.

Dive Insight:

Savvy HR leaders can use enterprise social networks and internal messaging systems for communicating personnel changes, updating employee benefits options and programs, and announcing benefits-related events such as health screenings, EBN reports.

The first move is to make a business case with C-Suite decision makers, because adding these technologies won't be free. But in the end, the article notes, when leaders get personally involved in these strategies, the results reflect it.

Tools, such as messaging platforms Slack, HipChat or Ryver, might be enough to develop a strong social media bent within benefits communications. Apart from the technology, it’s critical to "plan and set expectations before beginning." If it's a first-time social network effort, it's especially vital to ensure that senior management is willing to participate. The idea is that if the C-suite actively and consistently shares "interesting and engaging information," the entire workforce will get into the act.