Health benefits are the second largest expense for employers – an investment that goes far beyond covering medical expenses. Attractive, competitive health benefits boost recruitment, retention, employee wellness and performance. That's why it's important to remember that simply selecting a benefits offering is only one piece of the annual enrollment puzzle: Getting employees to actively participate and engage in the right decision-making is essential.  

It bears reminding: Open enrollment isn't a "set it and forget it" process. It requires communication, education, nurturing, more communication and even a bit of hype. Especially if a company is adding new plan options or making changes to current offerings, it's critical that open enrollment efforts center around employees actually understanding – and being able to effectively use – their health benefits.

Here are six things your employer clients or your company should keep in mind to better engage employees during open enrollment and help them reap the true value of their health plans all year.

1. Make it active

The best way to meet goals around employee engagement during annual enrollment is to make it active. How many times have we all skimmed an open enrollment email, realized that doing nothing will default to last year's choices, and then filed the email away? While it may feel easier to some, a passive enrollment is a signal to employees that they don't need to pay attention.