With open enrollment season fast approaching, it's important that employers consider how to best
Studies have demonstrated time and again that solid benefit offerings are a key motivator in people's employment decisions. Almost 50% of employees say that healthcare plans were a top factor in choosing their current job, according to a survey from WTW. Meanwhile, an analysis from McKinsey found that those that have their needs unmet are twice as likely to quit their jobs. With high inflation rates and overall economic uncertainty, it is more critical than ever for employers to consider how they present their offerings.
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"Benefits enrollment is a moment that really matters in the overall employee experience," says Casey Hauch, WTW's managing director of communication and change management. "We encourage employers to really treat it like a big event, and an opportunity to educate their people about what programs they offer."
Rather than treating open enrollment like a business transaction, Hauch suggests that employers take a
"Using data can really inform your approach," she says. "What challenges are employees facing? What matters most to them?"
While hybrid work has somewhat complicated communication, with the proper tools and mindset, employers can use a digital setting to their advantage. Online experience platforms, such as Embark, break down HR topics in a digestible manner, while additional access points like webinars can give employees greater flexibility in exploring offerings that matter. Simply hanging up a QR code on the office floor can distribute information in a more accessible way than a bulky 25-page handbook could, says Hauch. For employees with disabilities, this can look like adding alternative text to digital images.
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Meanwhile, to help people deal with inflation and rising healthcare costs, employers can place an emphasis on preventive measures, like screenings, and voluntary benefits such as pet insurance, says Hauch. Although about 80 percent of employees barely use any medical services in a year, Americans are far less healthy than their counterparts in other countries, like Sweden or Germany, according to a McKinsey analysis. In the long run, promoting preventive healthcare and overall well-being isn't only more affordable for employees and employers, but can push back against diseases like cancer or diabetes before it's too late.
"Helping employees understand what kind of care to access at the time for their specific needs, can really help," Hauch says. "So education and awareness building around those voluntary benefits can help make sure that people you know are holistically protected."
Ultimately, keeping employees in the loop shouldn't just be restricted to open enrollment, but should be a year-long effort, says Hauch. New benefits are constantly being added and peoples' needs fluctuate according to new circumstances.
"You need to be creating that dialogue with your employees all year round," she says. "The fight is just beginning. You need to make sure you don't stop at open enrollment and communicate all throughout the year to connect people to programs based on the different things that they need."
