Why your open enrollment plan needs to meet employees where they are

But how well prepared are employees to participate in open enrollment, and what opportunities are available for companies to ensure it’s a positive experience?

Data shows that employees who perceive their companies as transparent have 12 times greater job satisfaction than those with the opposite perception. Greater job satisfaction also impacts overall wellbeing.

But what do companies need to share with employees? Recent survey data from Axios of more than 1,000 people about workplace communications suggests that employees want to see leaders send more thoughtful and insightful details, with more frequency and consistency.

What this means: your benefits communication plan needs to meet people where they are, not where we hope they are.

Treat open enrollment like a product launch, not a series of emails.

Before writing a communication plan, it’s essential to remember that, even though you and your team have been working diligently on open enrollment for many months, employees are likely not thinking about it until they receive their first communication.

Think about the times recently you’ve been marketed. Messages come out of nowhere to your inbox and social media feeds, followed by what might seem like a dizzying avalanche of messages and calls to action.

Communication plans require Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Let’s break each area down.

Research your audience:

What do we know about your audience? In the case of open enrollment, several key factors must be taken into consideration.

First, what went well during last year’s open enrollment, what didn’t go well, and what was changed as a result?
How do your employees like to receive information? Some employees may not have access to a computer all day, so how will you reach them? Does your company centralize its employee communications, and if so, to what extent are your employees accessing those channels?

According to Payroll Integrations’ State of Employee Financial Wellness Report, 73% of employee respondents want more education on company benefits. In the case of your company, what does “more education” mean?

Next, how much time do your employees spend deciding on Open Enrollment options? According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, “Most enrollees spent less than two hours deciding on their health plan during open enrollment....with 3 in 10 spending less than 30 minutes.” What data does your company have?

Planning:

After research comes plan development. Four key elements should be included in every plan.

1) What’s your big picture goal? Think of it this way: if you had one sentence to share with your executives and board about what you want to achieve, what might it say? An example might be:

• Increase understanding of and participation in open enrollment.

2) Next are the measurable objectives. These help teams focus on what’s essential and should align with the overall goal. For all companies, this can be challenging, especially as you strive to cater to every employee; however, it’s crucial to maintain a focus so that HR teams aren’t overwhelmed with work and employees aren’t inundated with information. Strategic and measurable objectives follow the SMART Method:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Actionable
• Realistic
• Timely

I recommend having no more than 3-5 of these objectives in your plan. Examples might include:

• An 8% increase in on-time enrollment compared to the previous year, resulting in savings of administrative costs.
• A 10% reduction in HR/benefits support tickets during enrollment, which improves efficiency.
• A 15% increase in employee participation in cost-saving benefit options, such as preventative care or HSAs.

3) Next, you need strategies, or broad statements on how you will reach your objectives. Examples of strategies might be:

• A channel strategy that includes required communication channels, including Email, intranet, SMS/text for reminders, chat tools, QR codes on paystubs or posters, short videos, live/virtual Q&A, and one-on-one consults.
• Provide accessible resources to explain benefits.
• Manager training is used to reinforce the message through the creation of micro sessions, briefings, and toolkits.

4) Finally, the tactics. These include email sequences, material development, an intranet site, webinars, and more.

Implementation: Make the message clear to understand

No plan, however, is successful without implementation.

A few tips to keep in mind:

• Communicate concisely, jargon-free, and action-oriented. For emails or newsletters, research suggests a range of 75-100 words. Will your audience understand your message within seconds? That’s the test!
• Ensure the message is repeated early and often.
• Assume every communication is the first time people have heard the message. Ensure that links to all available resources are included in every communication.
• Communicate in their terms: “what this means for you,” “how this impacts you,” etc.
• Ensure all communication adheres to accessibility guidelines, including color contrast, alt text, and captions.
• Provide translation and interpreting options, and ensure employees know how to request language help.

• 8–12 weeks out: Announce dates for Open Enrollment launch, what’s new/what’s the same, and what employees should do first. 
• 4–6 weeks out: Share segment-specific explainers such as short videos, side-by-side plan scenarios, manager toolkits, and multilingual assets. 
• Launch week: Share step-by-step “how to enroll” with screenshots, office hours schedule, and 1:1 booking links.
• Mid-window: Send targeted notes to those who have not yet completed enrollment and share short, myth-busting facts.
• Final three days: Send short digital deadline reminders (SMS/email) with a single link and a support contact. 
• Post-enrollment: confirmation, “what happens next,” and education on using benefits in Q1 (preventive visits, HSA funding).

Gartner revealed that although 87% of employees have access to mental and emotional wellbeing offerings, only 23% use them. Ensuring that people are clearly, concisely, and consistently aware of company benefits throughout the year has a significant impact on both the company’s finances and reputation.

Create and distribute a post-enrollment pulse survey that asks:

• To what degree did people understand their benefits?
• Which communications methods and channels (e.g., email, manager meeting, webinar) helped the most?
• How easy was it to make selections?

Identify:

• Who enrolled within 48 hours and who waited until the last minute?
• How long did people spend in the portal making their selection?

As part of your process, ensure that you, as a team, meet no later than 14 days after open enrollment closes to discuss what went well and what could be improved for next year.

Finally, share your findings with executives. Along with a comprehensive report, prepare a summary that can be digested in under 60 seconds, highlighting key objectives shared earlier and tying them to business impact.

Implementing a strategic and comprehensive open enrollment communication plan is one of the most critical factors to ensure that all your hard work and smart efforts yield the desired results.