Mastering Open Enrollment: Strategies for Employers to Engage and Collaborate

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Employee benefits is a big investment, and can average about 30% of an employer’s total budget. Open enrollment is more than something you do every year—it’s an opportunity to get a positive return on that investment, engage your employees, ensure they understand their benefits, and demonstrate your commitment to their well-being. While the process can be complex, with careful planning, clear communication, and strategic collaboration with your broker, open enrollment can be a smooth and successful experience for everyone involved. 

Effectively engaging employees 

A successful open enrollment hinges on informed and engaged employees from start to finish. To achieve this, develop a communication strategy that leverages various methods to reach everyone on your team. 

Start by crafting a communication plan with multiple touchpoints and tailored messaging for different employee groups. Segmenting by demographics or benefits needs, customize communications accordingly. Use multiple methods to reach team members. Consider a variety of options:  

• emails 
• text messages 
• a website 
• an intranet site 
• newsletters  
• In-person sessions 
• online group sessions 
• paper handouts 
• posters 
• payroll stuffers 

Interactive tools and resources can further enhance engagement. Online decision-support tools, for example, help employees compare plans and make informed choices. When combined with clear visual aids like infographics and videos, these tools make enrollment information more digestible. 

Overcoming barriers to family involvement 

Employees often need to involve their families in the benefits decision-making process. However, barriers such as limited access to materials, technology, language barriers, a lack of understanding of benefits options, or time constraints can complicate this involvement. As an employer, recognize and address these barriers to make it easier for employees to make informed decisions with their families. 

You can work with your broker to identify and address these obstacles. Steps to take include: 

• Ensuring your online enrollment platform is accessible and user-friendly. 
• Offering flexible support options, such as after-hours consultations or family-inclusive webinars, to accommodate employees who need to discuss their options outside of office hours. 
• Providing multilingual support for non-native-speaking employees.  
• Enabling family members to receive benefits communications. 
• Printing materials for employees to take home and review together. 

Maximizing broker collaboration 

Your broker is your partner. By leveraging their expertise and resources, you can streamline and reduce administrative burdens and provide your employees with needed support. 

Engage your broker early in planning to design a benefits package that aligns with your company’s goals. They can offer valuable insights into trends, regulations, and best practices, helping you meet your employees' diverse needs. From voluntary insurance products and lifestyle spending accounts to various non-health insurance-related solutions, your broker can be a wealth of resources to help you craft the perfect package. 

Depending on your circumstance, you may want to have your broker support your team with onsite or virtual open enrollment workshops or drop-in sessions, giving employees direct access to an expert who can answer questions and provide advice. This continuous collaboration lets employees feel comfortable knowing they can seek guidance anytime.  

Establishing a timeline for open enrollment 

A structured timeline is critical to managing open enrollment; waiting until the last minute leaves you stressed, frazzled, and unprepared. Start at least three months in advance, working closely with your broker to finalize plan options, develop communication materials, and prepare your online system. 

Outline key milestones, such as launching communications, conducting system readiness checks, and scheduling online and in-person sessions. Communicate open enrollment start and end dates and provide regular reminders to keep employees on track. 

Monitor the enrollment period throughout and after it, working with your broker to ensure that all employees have made their selections and understand their benefits. Continuous monitoring allows you to address any issues that crop up immediately. 

Finally, analyze enrollment data and feedback with your broker to identify trends, participation rates, and areas for improvement. This post-enrollment review provides insight to improve the open enrollment process in future years. 

Continuous improvement and year-round education 

Open enrollment shouldn’t be the only time employees hear about their benefits. Continuous education and improvement are vital to maintaining high engagement and satisfaction. 

After the enrollment period, gather feedback from employees about their experience. Implementing changes based on this feedback improves the enrollment experience and demonstrates your commitment to listening to and valuing your employees’ input. 

Collaborate with your broker to provide ongoing education opportunities. These could include workshops, newsletters, texts, or easy access to benefits information. Keeping benefits top-of-mind year-round helps employees maximize their benefits and stay informed about changes or new offerings. 

Have a solid strategy in place  

A successful open enrollment period results from careful planning, strategic communication, and close collaboration with your broker. By focusing on employee engagement, addressing barriers to family involvement, and adhering to a well-structured timeline, you can enhance the overall experience and help employees make the best decisions for their needs.  

With these strategies in place, open enrollment can become a powerful tool for building a stronger, informed, and satisfied workforce. 

Content provided by Q4intelligence

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