This article first appeared in BenefitsPro on June 16, 2026, written by Ann Clifford.
The Hartford’s Future of Benefits Study reveals that 43% of U.S. workers say they aren't sure they are making the right workplace benefits choices, and 79% of employers cite educating employees about benefits as an ongoing challenge.1
Taken together, these numbers highlight a confidence gap that creates benefits protection gaps and underutilization.
The issue is especially challenging for small businesses, where limited HR teams often don’t have the bandwidth to take on engagement strategies aimed at turning confusion into confident enrollment decisions and improved benefits satisfaction.
Advisors who offer a more consultative approach around benefits education show their value by stepping in to help HR fill the gap.
“Small and midsize clients are looking for real help when it comes to benefits communications and getting employees engaged in benefits decisions,” says Laura Marzi, chief marketing officer for Employee Benefits at The Hartford. “Advisors who lean on carriers for year-round benefits engagement support can provide strategic solutions to clients that go well beyond pricing and plan selection.”
For advisors, providing that extra layer of value for small business clients relies on three core areas: making the case for strategic communication, operationalizing year-round messaging and optimizing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven decision-making support.
Advisors as Communication Strategists
Advisors bring a unique perspective to benefits communications, offering a view across carriers, coverages and point solutions. That broader perspective helps busy HR teams simplify messages and educate employees by presenting benefits as a connected program rather than a collection of separate products.
Employers welcome the support. The Hartford’s research finds 73% of HR leaders are taking on added responsibilities.1 As a result, they turn to benefits advisors and carriers for expertise, support and turnkey communication strategies to help drive engagement and optimize their benefits investment.
“Employers put a lot of care into the mix of benefits they offer, and they want employees to understand, appreciate and use them,” Marzi says. “At The Hartford, we’re helping advisors take the communications burden off HR teams by using plain language to simplify benefits communications, connect the coverages to real-life needs and anticipate employee questions.”
Operationalizing a Year-Round Approach
The Hartford’s study shares that three in four workers keep the same benefits year after year, despite life changes or new options.1 This tendency to stick with familiar choices underscores the need for benefits education and decision-making tools that prompt informed evaluation.
For advisors, open-enrollment inertia is a powerful argument for shifting communication from a once-a-year push to a steady cadence throughout the year.
"Mapping out a year-round communications strategy opens the door to tell a full story without the logistical elements that come with enrollment," Marzi says. "Year-round communications can tie coverages to life events, claims experiences and real-life needs, giving employees more chances to see how different products apply to their individual situations and needs.”
In practice, advisors can help employers deliver regular messages using different vehicles, such as emails and short videos. Advisors can tailor the communications plan for each client, leveraging their experience and carrier-provided support, content and tools.
Keeping Pace With How Employees Seek Information
The way employees seek benefits information is changing, driven in large part by AI, which is becoming more widely used and trusted, especially among younger workers. The Hartford’s Future of Benefits Study reports that 94% of Gen Z employees who used AI for benefits decisions trusted the recommendations they received.1
"Today’s employees are engaging with more sources of information than ever and that includes benefits content,” Marzi says. “Now is the time to combine AI-powered engagement with human expertise, so employees have access to information and guidance they can trust.”
Working with carrier partners, advisors play a vital role in helping small and midsize companies understand the power of AI-driven benefits tools and their role in the employee’s benefits journey.
By embracing a year-round communication approach, advisors can help small-business clients turn benefits confusion into confidence through a steady, year-round communication cadence and optimized technology that meets evolving employee expectations. The payoff is better understanding, stronger utilization of benefits and deeper, harder-to-replace advisor-client relationships.
