What enrollment methods and communication/education campaigns will be most effective for employees as we evolve into a diverse mix of in-person and virtual enrollment scenarios at the workplace? (Image: FGC/Shutterstock)
As we enter the peak season for voluntary benefits enrollments, it's natural to wonder what to expect, given the changes over the past year and continued disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. What enrollment methods and communication/education campaigns will be most effective for employees as we evolve into a diverse mix of in-person and virtual enrollment scenarios at the workplace?
Nick Rockwell and Erin Marino, Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. Our latest carrier research (June 2021) found that half of surveyed carriers plan to make changes to their 2021 enrollment and/or communication methods, but there is no clear consensus. Roughly equal percentages plan to hold in-person meetings, while others plan to reduce in-person meetings or move to video calls/virtual meetings, online self-service or call center/telephonic enrollments.
Recommended For You
Carriers voice confidence in the expected participation levels as a result of these enrollment changes. Almost 60% think more employees will enroll and 18% think there will be no effect, while another 18% are unsure of the impact. Only 6% think somewhat fewer employees will enroll.
To assess whether these optimistic participation levels are likely to pan out, reviewing the employee enrollment experience in 2020 may prove useful. Our recent employee data found that 79% of employees were offered the opportunity to enroll in voluntary benefits in 2020. Close to half (45%) of employees experienced changes to their voluntary enrollment process. Some had access to a benefits counselor via phone, online or video conference; others had communications primarily via video/phone or electronically as opposed to paper, and a small percentage did not have access to a benefits counselor at all.
How did employees like these enrollment changes? If we compare the relative satisfaction ratings of the 2020 enrollment experience of those employees who experienced a change compared to those that didn't, the results are telling. In general, the employees who experienced a change in their enrollment process had stronger reactions to enrollment satisfaction compared to employee satisfaction overall. The percentage of employees who liked the new tools and communications even better than before was only slightly higher than those who felt they didn't have enough information or the right tools to enroll.
So, as we look ahead to upcoming fall enrollments, we can expect strong participation for some methods and there is likely still work to be done with the new tools and communications being introduced to enhance employee satisfaction, especially in our increasingly virtual world.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
