While your open enrollment period may come around only once a year, it’s nearly impossible to bottle up all the information that you need to share into the few weeks before your final enrollment period. Companies are most successful when they’re able to create a cohesive plan that includes year-round communication that comes in a variety of forms for staff members. That could include everything from an ice cream social (low-fat, of course!) with a Q&A to fun, quick surveys that will get your staff thinking about their employee benefits. There’s no reason you can’t share the necessary information in a fun and engaging way! Hopefully, these suggestions will prompt you to approach your open enrollment in a new way for the coming year.
Maintain a Steady Stream of Information
Have you considered creating a communication strategy and marketing plan for open enrollment, just as you would for the best products and services produced by your company? When your staff understands the value of their benefits, they are less likely to jump ship for another company. Employees need to feel that their organization is invested in their health, wellness, and success — and the human resources team is often tasked with ensuring these details are heard by people throughout the organization. When you create a communications strategy, you can plan out your messages and be sure you’re sharing information in a way that everyone will respond to by using a mix of email, meetings, video and other engaging activities.
Make Insights Actionable
Employee benefits can be pretty boring, so why not spice up the activities surrounding your open enrollment? This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, but you might consider running some sort of contest or a fun reward for being able to answer certain questions about the benefits that are offered by your organization. Why not create a quick game that allows employees to work in teams to find the right answers? A scavenger hunt or other simple activity will help you introduce the concept you’ll be covering during the open enrollment period — providing education that is more likely to be accepted and appreciated than yet another meeting or webinar.
Offer Q&A Sessions
The months leading up to open enrollment are vital for your success, particularly ensuring that your human resources staff and employees fully understand the requirements of the season and the decisions they will be required to make. Instead of a same-old, same-old Q&A session, mix it up a bit with healthy snacks in a more relaxed atmosphere. For smaller companies, you could have a human resources staff member or knowledge expert provide information to smaller groups in a more relaxed setting. Sweet and salty (and healthy!) treats will provide the incentive for staff members to come, and you could even consider working with local providers to create a small goody bag.
Want to learn more best practices about getting your teams on board before your open enrollment season starts this year? Contact the professionals at Innovative Broker Services at 916-932-2864 to schedule a free initial consultation with our team. We offer a wide range of support materials for each of our clients, along with personalized support and instruction that will help you manage your health costs and provide exceptional service for your employees. You can download our free PDF anytime: 8 Ways to Reduce Employee Benefits Costs for more tips!
