You just need a good hook. Here are three ways to present your open enrollment as an annual financial check-up:

1. Open enrollment is the perfect time to look at what you spent last year, and set aside what you'll need next year.

Plans can change from year to year. An employee might be expecting a surgery, or starting a family, or taking an online knife-juggling course. The point is, when plans change, medical needs—and costs—can change, too. A medical plan that worked fine last year might not be the best financial option next year.

Open enrollment is the perfect time for your employees to assess their needs, and then choose a medical plan that fits them best—both in care and cost. Ideally, they have access to a decision support tool that can walk them through their options and estimate how much they'd spend on each plan, based on the care they might need. If that's not available, then some helpful messaging could remind them to consider any big life changes when they're choosing a plan, and offer some guidance about what kind of questions they should be asking if they want to make the smartest financial decision.

2. Open enrollment is the perfect time to revisit your pre-paycheck choices to save as much as possible on taxes.

Your employees probably know exactly how much they pay per month for rent, mortgage, internet or their mobile phone plan. But they may not know how much they pay each month in insurance premiums or taxes—or how much they save with pre-tax accounts. That's because all of those things happen before they cash their check. For good or bad, those costs and savings are invisible.

That's why open enrollment is such an essential moment in your employees' financial health. Once per year, they have deadline-driven opportunity to reconsider what they spend their paycheck on—before they get their paycheck. If their employer can clearly show the benefit of contributing to a pre-tax account like a 401(k) or an HSA—the choices they make during open enrollment will help them save money all year long. (And it doesn't hurt that the company pays less in payroll taxes, too.)

3. Open enrollment is the perfect time to take a holistic view of your finances and determine your priorities.

Your employees have more than medical plans and pre-tax accounts on their minds. They might be dealing with any number of other financial challenges—like student loans, credit card debt, or saving up for a house. If you want this financial check-up to feel meaningful, it has to be personal and relevant to their whole situation.

One of the most helpful things you can do is give your employees guidance on which challenge to tackle first. At Jellyvision, we usually suggest the following priorities:

1. Create an emergency fund of at least $400 (to prevent surprise bills from becoming ongoing debt)
2. Take advantage of any company 401(k) match (for an immediate 100 percent return)
3. Pay down any high-interest credit card debt

You could also consider providing other helpful resources, like personal finance podcasts or budgeting apps. Open Enrollment can become a time when they can map out their financial goals for the year, instead of operating on a month-to-month basis.

It won't be easy. It will be worth it.

Rebranding open enrollment as a financial check-up will take a lot of work, and a little faith. But if you do it, you'll be able to leverage this once-a-year window into a perfect opportunity for your employees to make smarter financial choices, build better futures, and save a lot of money—both for them, and for your company.

Bob Armour is CMO of Jellyvision.

Read more: 

• HSAs: Moving from spending to saving to strategizing
• Employers still struggle to educate employees about 401(k)s
• 5 myths about employers' role in financial wellness