As this is written, the primary election season is off and running and Americans are making choices that will determine which candidates battle to become POTUS in the November election. Since polls and actual voting outcomes are not always the same, there is a great deal of speculation about people's actions. Will people vote rationally — for the candidate they believe to be the best qualified? Or for the candidate who seems likeable or might shake up a system that dissatisfies many?

Similarly, choices employees make drive the success or failure of our business. Historically, the voluntary market could rely on having the opportunity to meet with employees in person. But digital disruption has affected the business in recent years as increasing numbers of employers have moved toward online enrollment methods. This has changed our ability to influence employee choices.

As a result, words like "behavioral economics" and "choice architecture" have entered our everyday business discussions. We have moved toward figuring out how to positively influence employee enrollment choices. We are creating job titles like "Director of Engagement Solutions." We are reading books like "Predictably Irrational" and "Misbehaving" and "Nudge."

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.