Do you think your company’s old open enrollment practices are good enough? Don’t be so sure. Although change can be hard, it can also be beneficial. Keeping up with modern open enrollment practices isn’t just about being trendy. It’s about finding new ways to boost engagement, making the entire process more effective and saving time.
Here are some of the features of modern open enrollment practices.
Huge benefits booklets are out.
You can send your employees a huge benefits booklet, but you can’t make them read it. The Benefits Communication Survey from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans found that 80 percent of organizations say employees don’t open or read benefits materials.
So what can companies do about this? As this article from Employee Benefit News explains, it’s time to focus on smaller, easier-to-digest packages of information that people will actually read, like text messages.
Technology is in.
These days, technology is everywhere. It should be in your open enrollment, too. From emails to text messages to social media, technology is a great way to communicate information and important reminders during open enrollment.
Technology also provides effective way of educating employees on their choices. With videos and interactive websites, employees can learn about their benefits on their terms.
Automating Open Enrollment can also save you significant time and increase accuracy.
A complete open enrollment also engages COBRA, retiree and direct bill participants.
It’s easy to forget these extra groups. Make sure your communication strategy includes timely communication with these audiences. An automated system can help eliminate oversights.
Voluntary benefits are a must.
Some employees want traditional options like disability insurance. Others want health insurance for their pet. Today’s diverse workforce requires a diverse array of benefit offerings. At the same time, both employers and employees are dealing with rising costs and looking for solutions.
Voluntary benefits give employees the insurance options they want while helping employers keep costs under control. Given this, it’s no surprise that voluntary benefits are increasingly popular.
So what voluntary benefits should you offer? This Benefits Pro article on the top voluntary benefits of 2018 includes a wide range of products, from health care supplements and long-term care insurance to student loan assistance benefits and discounts for fitness wearables.
One-size-fits-all fits no one.
Every employee is a unique individual, and a successful open enrollment depends on treating them as such.
The benefit offerings need to be flexible and varied enough to meet the distinct needs of various employees, but personalization doesn’t end there.
A good open enrollment will appeal to different learning styles. Some people like to learn in face-to-face meetings. Others prefer to be given time to peruse materials at their own pace. Still others like a hands-on, technology-based approached to learning. HR professionals in charge of open enrollment need to provide all of these opportunities.
It’s not all business.
Open enrollment is about benefits – benefits that greatly impact the personal life of employees and their families. This means that sticking to a fact-based cost analysis won’t always work.
To get employee’s attention and to help them understand the importance of different benefits, don’t be afraid to get emotional. This Employee Benefit News article shows how sometimes employees respond better to an emotional approach with personal examples of how benefits can help families.
Open enrollment matters more than ever.
A low unemployment rate means that companies are struggling to find and retain qualified workers. To compete in the tight labor market, employers need to make their companies as attractive as possible.
A Glassdoor study found that 57 percent of people count benefits and perks as a top factor when considering a job offer. This means that companies need to offer great benefits – and they need to make sure employees understand and enroll in them. This makes open enrollment more important than ever.
Looking for ways to save time and money during open enrollment? Automate the process for COBRA participants and retirees! Travisoft COBRA administration software now offers Open Enrollment and Print Fulfillment automation. Email us to learn more.