To overcome the challenges of open enrollment, employers must embrace technology and communication strategies that prioritize efficiency and effectiveness. By investing in automation, targeted communication, and user-friendly technology platforms, organizations can streamline the enrollment process, reduce errors, and empower the workforce to make informed decisions about their employee benefits.
Addressing Tight Employee
Benefits Deadlines
Enrollment deadlines often create stress for both HR departments and employees. Employers must communicate effectively and in advance to ensure clarity and efficiency. Clear, correct information provided with ample time enables employees to make informed decisions about their coverage needs.
Mitigating Costly Errors
and Inefficiencies
Inefficiencies in benefits enrollment processes can lead to frustration and costly errors for HR, employees, and benefit vendors alike. Manual reconciliation of premium invoices and enrollment data can result in billing errors and unnecessary administrative burdens. According to a SHRM article titled “Automation Can Help Reduce Cost of Benefits”, a 25% error rate exists on some open enrollment applications. In addition, 15% of invoices from benefit carriers also contain
serious errors.
This data is indicative that employers must leverage automation and streamlined processes to reduce errors and improve efficiency.
Managing Fragmented Information and Unanswered Questions
Remote work adds complexity to benefits communication, making it challenging to engage employees effectively. Fragmented information flow and a lack of tech-forward communication channels can leave employees with unanswered questions about their benefits. Employers must invest in targeted communication strategies and user-friendly technology platforms, such as the Employee Assistance Program, to ensure employees understand and fully utilize their benefits.
Closing Gaps in Technology and
User Experience
Inadequate technology or a lack of understanding of how to use it can disrupt the benefits enrollment process. Open enrollment technology could just be a smaller portion of an overall HRIS system, which exists within a technology-based Human Capital Management (HCM) strategy. As a result, this could impact both user experience and ease of use. To fix this, HR may resort to manual workarounds, leading to a reactive and disjointed experience. Employers should prioritize the adoption of user-friendly, comprehensive technology solutions to streamline enrollment and improve the user experience for both HR and employees.
Overcome your Employee Benefits Challenges with Help from eBen
With our extensive experience in managing employee benefits, eBen delivers high-quality, cost-effective, and compliant benefits solutions. Gain additional insights into overcoming open enrollment challenges by contacting eBen today.
