If 70% of employees keep enrolling in the same benefits year after year, HR and employees are missing a lot of opportunities for improvement. HR could probably use a better communications strategy for educating on the value of the benefits and how to use them. Employees could be saving money, getting a better fit in coverage, and enhancing their overall wellness.
Of the 30% who do make benefit changes, only 14% actively explore their benefit options, according to the same study referenced above. Most merely adjust their existing coverage. The math of PPO vs HDHP is still confusing, and valuable voluntary benefits like critical illness and hospital indemnity are overlooked.
Employers are spending an average of $16,501 per employee every year on benefits, but only one in 10 employees believe that. A quarter of employees think that number is closer to just $1,000.
This year, start early and think about how you can improve your enrollment communications strategy — so you can gain the engagement you want for the benefits you work so hard to provide.
Assess the Previous Year’s Enrollment Comms
Before you start on new communications, pull together everything you sent out last year. Look at those communications with an unbiased, critical eye.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Did you reach all employees, even those who don’t sit at a desk?
- Was there an overarching message or theme woven through each piece?
- Did each piece have a clear call to action…a “to do” for the employee?
- Is there one place promoted as the “source of truth” for more information?
- If you handed the benefits guide to your neighbor, would they understand it?
Lay Out this Year’s Timeline with Messaging and Channels
Avoid the two-week firehose of enrollment communications by putting a plan in place early. This is especially important if you’re making changes to the benefits you offer, whether it’s good or bad news.
The phased plan below shows a timeline, general messaging around benefit changes, and recommended communication channels. Start early with messaging around general awareness of the dates and add more details with each phase.
Phase 1: (6 Weeks Before Open Enrollment) “Change Is Coming”
| Messaging — What to Say | Channels — How to Get the Word Out |
| Give general information: “Benefit changes are coming. Be ready to dive in and learn more.” Tell them the “high-level why” of the changes. Let them know you’ll be telling them more in the coming weeks. And tell them when Open Enrollment starts… as does their decision-making. | – Postcard mailed home – Monitor slides |
Tip! Remember to educate leaders and managers before you send all-employee communications. We have toolkit ideas that may help, plus you can download our template for cascading your messages.
Phase 2: (4 Weeks Before Open Enrollment) “Let’s Learn What’s Changing”
| Messaging — What to Say | Channels — How to Get the Word Out |
| Tell them how the new plans work, how the changes affect them. Don’t hide bad news — if costs are increasing or coverage is reducing, tell them up front. If they’ll have a new network, tell them how to see if their providers are in that network. Refer them somewhere to learn more (intranet, FAQ in breakrooms, etc.). | – FAQ on intranet (copies in common spaces) – Email with FAQ (linked or attached) – Letter or other home mailing – Employee advocates/champions |
Tip! If you have remote or frontline workers, use channels that reach them where they tend to be. This blog has tips on how to reach dispersed employees.
Phase 3: (2 Weeks Before Open Enrollment) “Are You Ready to Decide?”
| Messaging — What to Say | Channels — How to Get the Word Out |
| Remind them when Open Enrollment starts and ends. If there’s a pre-enrollment informational site from your carrier, promote it. Refer them again to the FAQ, especially if you can say you’ve updated it. Release your Open Enrollment materials — benefits guide, newsletter, summaries, or at-a-glances, etc. | – Posters* (QR code to FAQ/other resources) – Email with FAQ (linked or attached) – Webinars (recorded or live) *For posters, consider hanging in restrooms and breakrooms and on entrance and exit doors. |
Phase 4: (During Open Enrollment) “Time to Choose”
| Messaging — What to Say | Channels — How to Get the Word Out |
| Make a big splash on opening day (“Your decision-making starts today!” “Choose your best benefits now!”) Be clear on what they need to do — enrollment instructions, decision-making tips/tools, deadlines, documents to have on hand, etc. Spread out a few communications over the enrollment period: 1) it’s here, 2) don’t wait too long, 3) one week to go, 4) last chance. | – Posters* (QR codes to enroll/see resources) – Announcements in warehouses and stores – Emails with links to all resources – Table tents in breakrooms (with QR codes) Think outside your HR box and reach employees where they are. *For posters, consider hanging in restrooms and breakrooms and on entrance and exit doors. |
Get Inspired! Check Out These Examples
We’ve helped clients create hundreds of enrollment campaigns — from national restaurant chains and luxury retailers to global manufacturers and technology companies.
Check out this page to see:
- Case studies on how communications improve enrollment
- Before-and-after samples of benefits guides and specific pages within them
- Examples of enrollment campaigns
- Insights to help you get the attention of all employees
What’s your communications strategy? When you have a plan, you have less scramble (a.k.a., less stress), and make more of an impact with your communications. So, for this year’s Open Enrollment season, start early…and maybe call in the experts (wink, wink).
