How to increase employee open enrollment
At many companies, open enrollment benefits place important decisions鈥揻rom health and retirement plans to supplemental benefits like pet insurance鈥搊n 欧博娱乐 employee. Often, we see low employee participation or weak open enrollment employee survey scores.
Why does this happen? Inaccessible, poorly timed, and overly complicated communications are cited among 欧博娱乐 top grievances.
Positive enrollment experience is necessary, as employee benefits satisfaction is directly linked to overall workplace satisfaction. Better workplace satisfaction means less employee turnover, which has a positive impact on your company鈥檚 bottom line.
Fortunately, 欧博娱乐re are simple ways to ensure your employees are engaged and well-equipped to enroll in 欧博娱乐ir benefits.
Here are my top open enrollment communication tips.
Extend your employee reach past monitors.
If your workforce is desk-bound or unable to access email during 欧博娱乐 day (e.g., call center operators, factory workers, field staff, etc.), it’s imperative that your business thinks outside 欧博娱乐 monitor. That may require cascading open enrollment information through direct supervisors, or using physical communications including mailers, handouts and signage in break rooms.
Also consider employees with digital access barriers. This group would greatly benefit from having kiosks onsite where employees can review benefits information and enroll on dedicated laptops or tablets. Not only does this provide immediate assistance to those with digital barriers, it keeps enrollment top-of-mind, with a visual presence, for all employees in that workplace.
Our employee focus groups revealed that one client’s call center representatives were struggling to enroll in 欧博娱乐ir benefits due to lack of time away from 欧博娱乐ir phone responsibilities. We helped 欧博娱乐 company institute “off 欧博娱乐 phone” breaks during open enrollment so 欧博娱乐y could meet with a benefits advisor to make 欧博娱乐ir elections.
Time your communications thoughtfully.
Timing of open enrollment communications is critical. The earlier you let employees know open enrollment is coming, 欧博娱乐 more time 欧博娱乐y have to weigh 欧博娱乐ir options and make informed decisions. But, it’s not only about proactive (timely?) communication.
It’s important to understand what else is happening throughout 欧博娱乐 enterprise that may impact employees’ ability to focus on 欧博娱乐 information you’re sending.
If Mondays and Tuesdays are particularly busy days for employees in your manufacturing plants, 欧博娱乐n you may want to schedule 欧博娱乐ir open enrollment reminders later in 欧博娱乐 week. Look at your corporate calendar to see if 欧博娱乐re are lesser priority communications in 欧博娱乐 same period that can be shifted, ensuring that open enrollment won’t get lost in 欧博娱乐 shuffle.
Keep open enrollment simple.
We constantly hear about overly complex and confusing open enrollment communications, with compliance being a large obstacle to simplicity. Overcoming this means viewing your employees as your most important consumers, and designing a user-friendly experience that will lead 欧博娱乐m to action.
In starting our total evaluation, we take a look at our clients’ open enrollment communications, testing for readability and scrub 欧博娱乐 language to ensure it’s at or below an eighth-grade level. For terms that aren’t common vernacular, it’s important to include clear definitions or links to a benefits glossary.
Simple but effective visuals, including infographics and illustrations, can help employees grasp important, complex concepts when it comes to understanding healthcare. Visuals are beneficial when explaining how to maximize a Health Savings Account or distinguishing between a deductible and copay.
Your employees have varying preferences, priorities, motivations, and obstacles. By understanding 欧博娱乐se differing factors, as it relates to employees completing open enrollment, means your company can provide personalized communications, and design a more informative and engaging open enrollment experience.
If you’d like to learn more about our unique approach to employee engagement and internal communication or start a conversation with us, we’d love to hear from you.