For benefits and total rewards leaders, it's one of the most important opportunities to help employees understand their options, make informed decisions and recognize the value of their employer's investment in their wellbeing.
That responsibility is becoming more challenging. Rising healthcare costs, evolving employee expectations and increasing benefits complexity are putting pressure on organizations to do more with the programs they already have in place.
The good news? Improving the enrollment experience doesn't always require significant new investment. Often, small changes in communication and experience design can have an outsized impact on employee understanding, engagement and decision-making.
Here are seven practical ways to make this year's open enrollment more effective.
1. Start with why before what
Before employees can engage with enrollment details, they need to understand why those decisions matter.
Too often, communications jump directly into plan information, deadlines and required actions. While those details are important, employees are more likely to pay attention when communications first establish relevance.
Consider answering two simple questions:
- What decisions am I being asked to make?
- Why do those decisions matter to me and my family?
A concise explanation at the start of a communication can shift the experience from administrative to meaningful and help employees understand the value behind choices they're making.
2. Prioritize comprehensible over comprehensive
One of the most common enrollment challenges is information overload.
When communications attempt to cover every detail at once, employees can struggle to identify what's most important. More information doesn't necessarily create better understanding.
Instead, focus on helping employees quickly identify:
- The decisions they need to make
- The actions they need to take
- The deadlines they need to meet
Supporting information should still be available, but it shouldn't compete with the primary message.
Clarity helps employees make confident decisions, especially when plan changes, cost-sharing adjustments or new offerings introduce additional complexity.
3. Design for limited attention
Employees rarely review enrollment materials in ideal conditions.
They're often balancing meetings, deadlines, family responsibilities and competing priorities. Most engagement happens in short moments throughout the day.
Effective enrollment communications reflect that reality by being easy to scan and easy to act on.
Consider using:
- Clear summaries upfront
- Logical information hierarchy
- Short sections and concise copy
- Simple calls to action
The easier information is to digest, the more likely employees are to absorb and remember key messages.
4. Segment where it matters most
Not every employee has the same questions, priorities or benefits needs. Even modest segmentation can make communications more relevant and useful.
For example:
- Early career employees may need support understanding foundational benefits.
- Employees with families may be focused on medical coverage, dependents and financial security.
- Employees approaching retirement may be more interested in long-term financial planning and retirement readiness.
Employees are more likely to engage when they see content that reflects their circumstances. Relevance creates clarity, and clarity drives action.
5. Equip managers to reinforce key messages
Managers are often one of the most trusted sources of information within an organization. Yet many don't feel equipped to support employees during enrollment.
A simple manager toolkit can help bridge that gap.
Consider providing:
- Key enrollment dates
- Core campaign messages
- Frequently asked questions
- Suggested talking points for team discussions
When managers understand the message, they can reinforce it consistently and help employees navigate enrollment with greater confidence.
6. Present benefits as a connected experience
Employees don't experience their benefits as separate programs. They experience them as part of their overall wellbeing. Enrollment communications should help employees see how different programs work together to create value.
For example:
- Medical coverage paired with care navigation resources can support better health outcomes.
- Financial education and retirement plans can help employees build long-term financial security.
- Disability and voluntary benefits can strengthen financial resilience.
- Wellbeing resources can support employee health, performance and engagement.
Helping employees connect these dots can improve both understanding and appreciation of the support available to them.
7. Show employees how to use their benefits
Enrollment is only the beginning of the employee experience.
Selecting a benefit doesn't create value. Using it does.
That's why organizations should go beyond explaining what benefits are available and focus on how employees can use them throughout the year.
Simple guidance can make a significant difference:
- How to find care
- How to access digital tools
- How to connect with support resources
- How to maximize available programs
When employees understand how to access and use their benefits, utilization typically increases and perceived value improves.
Measure what matters
Open enrollment success isn't defined solely by email open rates or clicks. While those metrics can indicate awareness, they don't reveal whether employees understood the information or acted on it.
Consider tracking outcomes such as:
- Enrollment completion rates
- Participation in key programs
- Use of decision-support resources
- Employee confidence and understanding
- Post-enrollment feedback
These measures can provide a clearer picture of employee engagement and help identify opportunities for future improvement.
The bottom line
Improving open enrollment doesn't require a complete redesign of your approach.
Often, the biggest gains come from focusing on a few fundamentals:
- Clear communication
- Relevant messaging
- Practical employee support
- Simple, intuitive experiences
When employees understand their options, feel confident in their decisions and know how to use their benefits, organizations are better positioned to maximize the value of their total rewards investment.
Turning enrollment into better employee experience
Open enrollment is more than an administrative process. It's one of the most visible opportunities to demonstrate your organization's commitment to employee wellbeing.
At Gallagher, we help benefits and total rewards leaders create enrollment experiences that simplify complexity, improve engagement and connect benefits to the broader employee experience.
Whether you're looking to strengthen your communication strategy, improve employee decision-making or increase the impact of your enrollment campaign, connect with our team to explore practical ways to make this year's enrollment more effective.
