6 quick wins for this year’s share plan launch

With a significant number of share plan launch windows scheduled for the autumn, time is running short.

It might seem too late to make meaningful improvements to your communications. It’s tempting to postpone any changes until next year. But there are several quick wins you can implement right now to boost engagement, without requiring a massive investment of time, effort, or budget.

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1. Have a quick look at your data

You don’t need to be a data scientist to extract useful insights. Even basic analysis can uncover some actionable trends.

Start by looking at who signed up for the plan last year. What do these participants have in common, and how do they compare to your overall workforce? Are there any groups noticeably under-represented? If so, it might be worth considering targeting these groups with specific messaging.

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2. Review your existing communications

Take a critical look at your current share plan communications, especially your invitation emails, which are the first point of contact for employees.

If you notice certain employee groups are unengaged, or if your take-up rates are lower than industry averages, your communications might be the issue.

Are your messages clear and easy to understand? Do they avoid jargon, long sentences, and dense paragraphs? One quick way to gauge this is by checking the readability statistics in Microsoft Word (found in the editor tool).

Aim for a Flesch-Kincaid grade score of around 8 - this makes sure your content can be understood by around 80% of adults. That’s broadly as easy to read as the Harry Potter books. If you see a score of 12-14, your content is as hard to understand as Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time – not ideal for engagement with your share plan!

If your comms could use improvement, don’t worry - there’s still time, and we can help!

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3. Consider extra assets

If your core materials - brochures, emails, letters - are in good shape, think about how you can further enhance engagement. Adding interactive elements can make a big difference. For example, videos can often significantly increase engagement, and including a calculator that models potential returns based on real share and option prices can be a powerful motivator.

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4. Think about employee advocacy

Employee advocacy is often an underused channel. Your managers and team leaders can be effective advocates, but they need the right tools to succeed. Consider producing toolkits to equip managers with the knowledge and confidence to explain the share plan to their teams. A well-prepared advocate can significantly boost participation.

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5. Don’t forget education

Never assume all employees understand the basics of share plans. Some may not even know what a share is, which can be a major barrier to participation. For these employees, you’ll need to start with the fundamentals to ensure everyone has a fair chance to understand and participate.

And if you have an upcoming maturity, remember the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowance has been reduced to just £3,000. Engaging with plan members well in advance will help those at risk of a tax liability understand how they can mitigate it.

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6. Replace your brochure with a microsite

It might seem like you’re too late in the game to consider this option, but think again.

We can build a fully-branded microsite in just a couple of weeks, for not much more than the cost of a pdf brochure. This digital approach can offer a more dynamic, accessible, and engaging way to present your share plan.

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How we can help

At RewardPro, we specialise in transforming complex financial information into clear, engaging communications everyone can grasp.

We’re experts in driving employee understanding and participation. Whether you need help analysing your data, refining your messaging, or creating interactive tools, we have the expertise and technology to support you every step of the way. Let us help you make this year’s share plan launch your most successful yet. If that sounds good to you, we’d love to chat.

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