Open Enrollment Strategy to Improve Employee Engagement
Blue Daily
| 5 min read
For many employers, open enrollment is viewed primarily as a compliance checkbox rather than what it represents: one of the most valuable employee engagement, financial wellness and retention opportunities of the year.
Healthcare benefits account for a considerable share of an employer’s total compensation investment, averaging $9,000 per employee for single coverage and $15,000 for family coverage annually. However, investment alone doesn’t drive value. When employees can’t fully understand their benefit choices, they’re less likely to enroll in plans that best meet their needs, resulting in avoidable financial strain, lower satisfaction and a missed opportunity to strengthen trust in the organization.
Build a year-round healthcare literacy communication strategy
Open enrollment should not be viewed as a once-a-year event. Instead, it can serve as a key milestone within a broader effort to help employees build healthcare literacy, understand their benefits and make informed decisions throughout the year.
Organizations that invest in ongoing benefits education are better positioned to support employee well-being and confidence. Rather than concentrating communications solely around enrollment season, employers can develop a year-round communication strategy that gradually increases employees' understanding of their health plans, coverage options and available resources.
Employees often seek answers to fundamental questions such as:
- What benefits and resources are available to me?
- How do I choose the coverage that best fits my needs?
- How do benefit changes affect me and my family?
- What costs should I expect and how can I plan for them?
- How can I make the most of my healthcare benefits throughout the year?
- Where can I find support when I have questions?
An effective communication strategy addresses these questions through an ongoing program of education and engagement. Regular communications can highlight various aspects of the benefits package, explain common healthcare concepts, share practical decision-making tools and increase awareness of available support resources. As open enrollment approaches, these foundational messages help employees feel more prepared and confident when it is time to evaluate their options.
Consistency remains essential. Whether employees receive information through email, digital platforms, webinars, printed materials or manager discussions, each communication should reinforce key concepts and build on previous learning. By treating benefits communication as an ongoing healthcare literacy initiative rather than a transactional enrollment exercise, organizations can reduce confusion, strengthen employee understanding and empower more informed healthcare decisions year-round.
Your role in improving benefits understanding
Even the most comprehensive benefits package can fail to engage employees if the information is difficult to understand.
Benefits professionals are often familiar with industry terminology, but employees may not be. Terms such as deductibles, coinsurance, health savings accounts and provider networks can feel intimidating, especially for employees who are less experienced navigating healthcare benefits. Employers should focus on using plain language and organizing information around employee needs rather than health plan details alone.
A newly hired employee, a parent managing family coverage and an employee approaching retirement may have quite different questions and priorities. When appropriate, tailoring messages for specific employee groups can increase relevance and help employees focus on the information most meaningful to them.
In addition, employers should make support easy to access. Digital tools, decision-support resources, webinars, Q&A sessions and benefits experts can help employees navigate choices with greater confidence. Providing multiple ways to learn and ask questions will accommodate various communication preferences and work environments.
Use multiple channels to reach employees where they are
Today's workforce is more diverse than ever in how and where employees work. Some employees spend their day at a desk, while others work remotely, travel frequently or perform frontline roles with limited computer access.
Because of these differences, a multichannel communication strategy is essential. Email remains an important channel, but it should be supplemented with other touchpoints such as intranet content, printed materials, manager communications, virtual meetings and employee resource hubs.
We provide employers with open enrollment resources that can support your communication efforts and make enrollment a success for your employees.
Delivering information across multiple channels increases visibility and helps ensure employees receive critical messages regardless of their work environment or communication preferences. Repetition across channels can also reinforce understanding without overwhelming employees with a single large volume of information.
Think beyond open enrollment
Employee engagement shouldn’t end once benefit elections are submitted. Open enrollment should serve as the starting point for year-round benefits education, such as onboarding guidance, preventive care reminders or claims advice. Employees who understand how to use their benefits throughout the year are more likely to recognize their value and take advantage of available programs and resources.
If you’re a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network customer, throughout the year, you could plan a series of communications that highlight the benefits of the various included programs employees have access to as a way of promoting well-being.
Ongoing communications can help employees learn how to access care, use digital health tools, explore wellness programs and find support when health needs arise. Employers can also use employee questions, feedback and engagement indicators from the enrollment period to improve future communications and identify areas where additional education may be beneficial.
By maintaining benefits education throughout the year, organizations can create a more informed, engaged workforce while continuing to strengthen employees' connection to the benefits they receive.
The bottom line
The most effective open enrollment strategies recognize that enrollment is about more than selecting benefits. It is an opportunity for employers to educate, engage and support employees during important decision-making moments.
With early planning, clear communication, targeted messaging and ongoing education, employers can create an experience that helps employees better understand their benefits and make more confident decisions. In turn, employees are more likely to engage with and appreciate the value of the programs and resources available to them throughout the year.
Ready to strengthen employee engagement during open enrollment?
Visit our Open Enrollment Toolkit for ready-to-use communication resources, planning materials and tools that can support a more effective open enrollment experience. Or contact your Blue Cross representative to inquire about options we offer in support of your upcoming open enrollment fairs.
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