If we learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s reaching employees requires new approaches — including technology-based avenues.  More and more employees work remote or hybrid jobs, don’t want to spend one more minute at work than necessary and want employment information at their fingertips.  

When developing your benefit open enrollment plan of action, consider the following to determine if technology-based open enrollment provides more accessibility and less headaches for your company and employees. 

The pros of using technology include:

Employees no longer take the extra time to complete paperwork and turn it in to the human resource or payroll departments.

Access is available round the clock, enabling employees to enroll at their convenience.

Reduces the cost of staff time to provide paperwork, enter information, file forms and risk errors when entering information. As a result, a shorter enrollment period is required.

Complete benefit administration online, including enrollment, life-changing events, looking up insurance information and ordering insurance cards.

Electronic transfer of benefit information to payroll systems for premiums.

Reporting structures provide valuable information about which employees have enrolled or still need to complete the process. An audit trail of choices is available without paper personnel files.

Often, there are electronic data interchanges between the system and insurance companies, reducing the time required to process enrollment forms with representatives.

The cons of using technology include:

Some employees are intimidated by computers and prefer personal assistance from human resources.

A few employees don’t have access to computers or cell phones to complete the process. The company might need to provide access to a computer station or kiosk.

Employees might just click buttons instead of making informed decisions about their benefits.

One less contact point with employees.

Whether you determine technology based enrollment is right for your employees or not, you still need to set up your process for success. By planning well in advance, you enhance employee experiences, increase engagement and provide a useful tool for recruitment and retention.

First, listen to your employees through surveys or town hall-style meetings and address concerns or suggestions for new benefits. Don’t miss an opportunity to explore voluntary benefits paid for by employees, including pet insurance and identity theft protection.

Second, determine how and when to disseminate education on benefit changes for not only the company, but any legislative changes. Family and Medical Leave Insurance, a state-run paid leave program for employees in Colorado, take effect Jan. 1. Offering information in advance promotes informed decisions during enrollment.

Consider a couple of meetings to provide education, answer questions and calm anxieties. Ask your benefit brokers and representatives for brochures, pamphlets or presentations. They might even attend meetings so employees can ask them questions directly.

Provide a benefit guide for employees that includes the enrollment schedule; a statement of their current benefit coverage elections; plan-specific changes in coverage or cost; summaries of the benefits offered; eligibility information for employees, spouses and dependents; and carrier contact information for additional questions.

Third, highlight any benefit improvements made by the company, especially if they resulted from employee suggestions.

Fourth, introduce such new processes as technology-based enrollment and clear instructions on how to use it, deadlines for submitting information and available resources to assist in making decisions.

Fifth, track employee questions, concerns, challenges, suggestions and preferred communication methods to analyze trends and improvements for the next enrollment period.

Finally, employers think of open enrollment planning once a year. Consider offering two enrollment periods designed to showcase the health and welfare benefits as well as such additional benefits as financial education and retirement planning. Highlight a tip or reminder of benefit use in your monthly newsletters or electronic bulletin boards. What a great way to stay engaged with your employees through the year. 

d Krey owns Lighthouse HR Support, a Grand Junction firm offering human resource services for small and medium-sized businesses. Kelly Murphy works there as a human resources business partner. For more information, call 243-7789 or visit www.lighthousehrs.net.