Now that Election Day is behind us, we can turn our full attention to one of the most pressing events in the benefits industry: Open enrollment season. As we've noted over the past several weeks, open enrollment is going to look quite different this year, with almost all communication being done virtually.
Not only will the tools used for communication and enrollment change, but the messaging, as well. Employees' lives have changed significantly over the past several months, and they're approaching benefits enrollment with a new perspective. It's up to employers and their benefits teams to take advantage of this opportunity to drive employee engagement and help them make the most of the resources available.
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To help benefits leaders prepare, we recently conducted a Twitter chat bringing together a panel of brokers and HR professionals to share some advice. Much thanks to Kevin Rooney @Kdrooney1 of West Monroe, Derek Winn @BBGDerek of Business Benefits Group, Colleen Blum @InsuranceVixen of Combs & Company, Misty Guinn @GuinnMisty of Benefitfocus and Keith Vallera @KeithVallera of Jellyvision.
Here are a few highlights from the discussion; hop on over to Twitter and search for the #BPROOpenEnrollment hashtag for more great insights!
We're taking our time to ensure we understand best practices for virtual events (muting participants upon entry, asking for questions to take place in the chat, etc.). People have been more patient when issues do arise, which has been great! #BPROOpenEnrollment
— Kevin D. Rooney (@Kdrooney1) October 28, 2020
This year is a great #opportunity to double-down on what matters most to create a more #health literate #workforce, or underscore #employer programs/efforts. Employers of intention r working hard to continue to lead in everything they do–including benefits. #BPROOpenEnrollment pic.twitter.com/UK62IRPB5G
— Derek Winn (@BBGDerek) October 28, 2020
I've been surprised by how creative you can get in engaging employees in this new world. We've seen many employers share videos, newsletters, even send care packages. You can find helpful tips & ideas for #OE communications here https://t.co/WyiM5q3haT #BPROOpenEnrollment pic.twitter.com/wUUey2CS5l
— Misty Guinn (@GuinnMisty) October 28, 2020
At @Benefitfocus, we've seen a lot of employers address the concern of rising healthcare costs by offering HDHPs combined with HSAs to help employees save. We're also seeing an influx in #voluntarybenefits like childcare and mental health. #BPROOpenEnrollment
— Misty Guinn (@GuinnMisty) October 28, 2020
#BPROOpenEnrollment It will be interesting to see who goes back to in person, 1:1 OE meetings, and who sticks with the digital trend. We're building brand new processes (sometimes from the ground up), but will they be here to stay?
— Keith Vallera (@KeithVallera) October 28, 2020
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Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
