INSIGHTS

November 25, 2024

by Empyrean

• Benefits Administration

From Evaluation to Evolution: A Strategic Guide for Benefit Leaders to Master Open Enrollment 

As an employer, you know that the annual benefits open enrollment period can have a significant impact on your workforce’s well-being and job satisfaction. This brief but crucial window offers a prime opportunity to showcase your investment in your people, demonstrate your core values, and set your company apart.  

However, you also know how difficult it can be to pull off a successful open enrollment.  Too often, communications go unread, employees get confused, and participation is limited – and what should be a time to celebrate the company’s commitment to its employees becomes a time of frustration for everyone. 

Imagine transforming the complexity of open enrollment into a streamlined, engaging experience for your employees. You can make it a reality! Dive into our comprehensive guide to assess this year’s performance and strategically prepare for an even more effective approach next year. Your journey to open enrollment excellence starts here. 

Evaluating Your Current Open Enrollment: 

1. Analyze Quantitative Data: 

• Participation & Completion Rates: Measure the percentage of employees who participated in the enrollment process. A high participation rate typically indicates effective communication and engagement. Track the number of employees who completed their enrollment without errors. This metric can highlight the clarity and usability of your enrollment tools and resources. 

• Benefit Enrollment Counts: Look at benefit plan enrollments, selection of coverage tiers, plan migration and adoption metrics, spending account contributions, etc. This data allows you to evaluate how employees are engaging with your benefits plan designs and if certain communication campaigns and tools influenced behaviors and decisions.    

• Engagement Metrics: Examine open rates, click-through rates, page views, video views, mobile app downloads, and attendance to live events to gauge the effectiveness of  your open enrollment communications. You can get a lot of insight into how well your messages are resonating with employees and which channels they are engaging with the most. 

2. Collect Qualitative Feedback:  

• Employee Surveys and Pulse Checks: Create and distribute surveys to gather employee feedback on their enrollment experience, open enrollment communications, and your overall benefit offerings. Ask questions about the clarity of information, ease of the process, and their access to support and resources.  

• Focus Groups: Conduct focus groups or one-on-one interviews with a diverse group of employees to gain deeper insights into their experiences and suggestions for improvement.

• HR Operational Debriefs: Host debrief sessions with your HR and Benefits team members to collect their feedback on the volume and nature of employee questions received by your internal teams. High volumes of similar questions or requests may highlight gaps in your communication materials. Review the operational process of OE for their specific roles and identify areas for improvement.  

Evolving Your Open Enrollment for Next Year: 

1. Strategic Preparation: Set Clear Objectives 

• Define OE Success: Establish specific, measurable goals for next year’s open enrollment. These could include increasing participation rates, driving certain plan enrollments, boosting mobile adoption, and improving overall employee satisfaction. 

• Identify KPIs: Determine the key performance indicators that will help you measure success against your objectives. 

• Leadership Buy-In: Ensure that company leadership is actively involved in the benefits communication strategy. Their support can drive higher participation and engagement. 

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with benefit providers, brokers, and other stakeholders to ensure a cohesive and effective strategy. 

2. Develop a Comprehensive Communications Plan: Foster Year-Round Engagement 

• Ongoing Communication: Keep the dialogue about benefits open throughout the year. Regular updates and educational content can help employees stay informed and engaged. 

• Multi-Channel Approach: Utilize various communication channels such as email, texts, mobile push notifications, newsletters, webinars, and in-person meetings to reach all employees effectively. 

• Personalization: Tailor messages to different employee segments based on their needs and preferences. Personalized communication can significantly enhance engagement. 

• Employee Wellness Programs: Integrate wellness programs and initiatives that promote benefits utilization and overall employee well-being. 

3. Enhance Educational Resources: Revamp and Refresh Your Benefits Brand 

• Simplified Content: Replace benefits jargon and provide clear, concise, and easy-to-understand information about benefit options. Use infographics, videos, and FAQs to make complex information more accessible and consumable. 

• Step-by-Step Guides: Offer simple guides and checklists to help employees navigate the enrollment process with greater ease and clarity.   

• Launch a Benefits Brand: Give your benefits materials a facelift with a new creative brand that will engage your employees and grab their attention throughout the year.  

• Tell Stories: Create and share employee testimonials and real-life stories to help educate your workforce about their benefit options and illustrate the value you’re providing. 

4. Leverage the Latest Tech: Optimize Your Benefits Administration Platform  

• Simplified User Experience: Ensure your enrollment system delivers a user-friendly experience that makes it easy for employees to make their elections and reduces enrollment errors. 

• Personalized Decision Support: Explore available tools that help employees zero in on the best benefit options for their individual needs, using their health data to guide more informed, precise decisions. 

• AI-Powered Assistance: Improve support with AI tools that answer questions, provide suggestions, and guide employees through the enrollment process with greater efficiency.  

• Mobile-First Communications: Meet your employees where they are with mobile-first communication strategies, ensuring they can engage with benefits information anytime, anywhere.  

• Real-Time Data & Analytics: Tap into robust data and analytics to track employee engagement and gather real-time, actionable insights that help refine your strategy and improve outcomes year over year.