Engaging employees with pensions across all career stages

Pension planning is crucial, no matter what stage someone is at in their career. However, simply contributing to a pension isn’t enough — employees need to remain informed and engaged as their circumstances and aspirations evolve.

For employers, the challenge is to keep employees interested and involved, helping them to understand their pensions, shape their retirement goals, and provide ongoing support. Below are three strategies to help maintain engagement across different career stages.

1. Start with feedback: ask employees what they need

Effective communication begins with understanding your audience. Survey employees about the information they receive regarding pensions and retirement. Are they satisfied with the frequency and clarity of communications? Do they feel it’s too much, too little, or confusing? What would they like to see more of, and how do they prefer to be communicated with?

2. Tailor communications to different life stages

With this feedback in hand, you can start tailoring your communications to suit various employee groups. One effective approach is to segment employees by age, as each group will have different priorities.

• For younger employees (aged 18–29), retirement might seem like a distant concern, so the focus should be on what they gain in the here and now—such as tax relief and employer contributions. Regular, gentle reminders of how their pension is growing can also motivate them to stay engaged.
• For mid-career employees (aged 30–49), pension planning is likely to compete with other financial priorities. Highlighting the long-term benefits of increasing contributions, even by 1%, can help demonstrate the value of making small adjustments now for future rewards.
• For those approaching retirement (aged 50+), communications should focus on helping them understand their options and make informed decisions. Personalising these messages and ensuring they are easy to understand is key to supporting this group in planning for retirement.

Across all stages, consider how you deliver your communications—whether through written materials, webinars, seminars, or engaging formats like videos and infographics. The aim is to make pensions more accessible and engaging for everyone.

3. Make information accessible and inclusive

Pensions can be complex, and if the language is too technical, employees are likely to disengage. Aim to communicate in plain, inclusive language, avoiding jargon wherever possible. Signposting next steps and providing clear calls to action will help guide employees in understanding their options. Ensuring everyone can access the information easily is essential to fostering engagement.

Measure the results

After implementing these strategies, it’s important to measure the outcomes. Have more employees started contributing after targeted communications? Has retention improved in younger cohorts? By tracking these metrics, you can assess whether your engagement plan is effective and adjust your approach as needed.

Regular engagement is crucial. Sending an annual statement is no longer sufficient to keep employees involved. Frequent updates, reminders to check progress, and aligning messages with other key moments — such as salary reviews or bonuses — can help create a more dynamic and effective pension engagement strategy.