Leave no employees behind with effective open enrollment communications
Today’s flexible, hybrid and remote work environments make communicating benefits information more challenging than ever. Even under normal circumstances, employees struggle to fully understand their choices and deadlines during open enrollment.
Here are four communication strategies that can help:
- Communicate multiple times and on multiple fronts
Benefits information can be complicated, so exposing employees to it several times and in different formats will help the details stick. - Personalize the message
Focus on what employees want and need to know, not just what you want to tell them. - Reach employees where they are
Benefits information can be distributed via email or a website portal to in-office employees with access to computers, while bulletin boards and hard-copy memos may be more ideal for those working on the manufacturing or retail floor. Field, remote and traveling employees can be reached through mobile apps or text messages. - Evaluate what did and did not work
When open enrollment ends, measure changes in benefit participation levels, survey employees for feedback and track metrics, such as email open rate, video or page views, etc. Adjust your communication tactics based on the findings and use them to create a framework for the next open enrollment season.
