U.S. employers used more technology-based communication with employees during the last open enrollment and increased face-to-face contact with employees as well, according to a new Towers Watson survey.

The survey, which was based on the responses of 209 U.S. employers, found 84 percent of employers communicated benefit choices in 2010 with e-mail, a jump from 76 percent in 2009. Podcasts, Web-based videos or online chats were also used as enrollment information tools last year by 33 percent of employers, which is up from 27 percent in 2009. At the same time, face-to-face meetings rose from 53 percent in 2009 to 60 percent in 2010, and human resources increased conversations with employees from 50 percent to 58 percent.

Paper-based benefit enrollment is declining, the survey found, as only 9 percent of employees, a fall from 14 percent in 2009, used this type of enrollment last year.