Open enrollment is a pivotal period for HR professionals and benefits leaders alike. Each year, organizations introduce new plans, update existing benefits, and make critical changes that impact every employee. However, all these updates are only meaningful if employees actually understand what their options are and how to access them. That’s why a robust communication plan is not just helpful—it’s essential to ensure your open enrollment is smooth, successful, and stress-free for everyone involved.
A thoughtful, well-executed communication plan can transform potential chaos into clarity. When employees understand their benefits, they’re more likely to make informed, confident choices. This, in turn, increases satisfaction, boosts participation rates, and supports retention. Let’s walk through the step-by-step process of creating a standout open enrollment communication strategy.
Before you even start mapping out this year’s campaign, look back at how things went last year. Dig into feedback collected from employee surveys, help desk records, and any post-enrollment focus groups. Were there recurring questions or confusion about certain benefits? Did employees miss critical deadlines because they didn’t see reminders?
Dive into the performance of each communication channel. Was there higher engagement with emails or intranet announcements? Did printed handouts drive more questions to HR? Map out which types of messages resonated and where technical or access issues cropped up.
Even simple metrics, such as portal traffic and attendance at virtual info sessions, can point to problems or opportunities. If, for instance, few employees logged onto the enrollment portal, it might suggest navigation issues or lack of awareness about the portal’s value. Capture these lessons to inform where to concentrate efforts this time.
Gone are the days when a single email announcement was enough. Today, employees consume information in many different ways—so a multi-channel approach is essential.
Consider leveraging these diverse formats:
The more touch points you provide, the more likely employees are to really engage and take action.
Timing is everything. Plan your communications in waves, starting several weeks before open enrollment begins and extending into the final hours.
Scheduling these touch points helps ensure no one misses key information or critical deadlines.
Core medical, dental, and vision plans are important—but don’t overshadow your voluntary benefits. Educate employees about offerings like accident insurance, critical illness coverage, pet insurance, or identity protection.
Bring these extras to life by sharing real success stories. For instance, highlight how accident insurance helped an employee offset unexpected medical costs, or how supplemental disability insurance provided peace of mind during recovery.
Use both digital and traditional channels to position voluntary benefits as valuable add-ons, not afterthoughts, and clarify the impact these plans can have in everyday scenarios.
Once open enrollment wraps up, your work isn’t quite finished. Collect data to see what worked and what can be improved for next time.
Continuous improvement ensures your communication plan stays responsive to employee needs and behavior trends.
Modern HR technology can significantly enhance your communication efforts. Make every resource, from benefit guides to instructional videos, accessible on mobile devices. Integrate personalized recommendation tools that help employees see which options best fit their life situation.
Sync your benefits platform with HR and payroll software to make enrollment seamless. Implement single sign-on (SSO) to streamline access, allowing employees to log in once and get instant access to all resources without juggling multiple passwords. Provide instant messaging support, automate reminders, and create dashboards that let you monitor engagement in real time.
Never underestimate the power of simplicity, though—ensure all tech tools are easy to use for employees at any comfort level with technology.
The most successful open enrollment campaigns start early and bring in stakeholders from across the organization. Assign clear roles for HR, IT, communications, and benefits vendors. Hold regular planning meetings and test all digital systems ahead of launch to prevent last-minute technical hiccups.
Encourage managers to act as champions for benefits, arming them with FAQs and tip sheets. Recognize and celebrate employees who proactively engage in the process—positive word-of-mouth can motivate others to participate.
Remember, each open enrollment is an opportunity to strengthen your organization’s support for its people. By continually refining your communications and responding to feedback, you’ll help employees feel valued, empowered, and ready to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
Interested in reading more tips on how to make this Open Enrollment season successful? Download our curated 10 Tips for Open Enrollment and companion podcast episode HERE!