5 tips for successful virtual enrollment – and 2 reasons it’s here to stay
How do we embrace virtual enrollment and make it work well for each unique workforce?
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual solutions that were already known but not yet widely used. This past year, virtual enrollment capabilities went from a luxury to a necessity as millions of workers sought out virtual substitutes for what was typically in-person interaction. Whether for business or personal, solutions for virtual interactions have become widespread and are here to stay.
Benefits enrollment is a stressful time filled with questions and troubleshooting for both employees and HR alike. But we cannot revert to past solutions, so how do we embrace virtual enrollment and make it work well for each unique workforce?
Related: Best practices for employers during virtual open enrollment
Here are five tips for a successful virtual enrollment:
1. Employee experience
Do not trivialize the value of the employee experience. It is the most important aspect of enrollment, even more so when the process is virtual. You want the employee to feel as though they are getting all the same supports of the on-site, in-person experience they are used to. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Zoom or any other means of video communication will go a long way toward facilitating the benefit counseling experience, and counselors can even facilitate paper enrollment over the phone.
2. Employee feedback
Solutions and processes continue to evolve, so employee feedback is crucial to maintaining that positive enrollment experience. When there is the added layer of virtual enrollment solutions, feedback becomes even more important. Employees all adapt at their own pace, so you may see lots of different feedback, but it will give you the best sense of the comfort levels and capabilities of your employee population.
3. Provider partnership
Insurance partners provide many support services along with coverage products. From virtual enrollment solutions and benefits counseling, digital solution implementation and employee communications, don’t be afraid to rely on your insurance provider for troubleshooting, ongoing support, and ways to improve your enrollment strategy each year.
4. Access to technology
Depending on the type of workplace, many workers may not have quick, easy access to online technology for benefits enrollment. It is key for employers to assess ways to provide equitable access to technology solutions in the workplace, so that every employee can utilize virtual enrollment. This may also require additional communications and employee engagement, particularly if you have employees who are less comfortable with technology solutions or change in general.
5. Employee communications
Communications are a key component of enrollment strategy, especially when new coverages are available or new processes or platforms are being used. During the pandemic, employee communications have taken on new meaning, as it has replaced on-site interaction among employees and their managers, in addition to typical enrollment messages. Employee communications around benefits should really be a year-round push, as employees need consistent education and reminders around the benefits available to them. Don’t underestimate the value of engaging, informative, plain-language employee communications, during enrollment and year-round.
With the extreme increase in utilization of digital and virtual solutions this past year, product development is firing on all cylinders. These trends are going to continue growing and moving forward – not back. Here are two reasons virtual enrollment is here to stay:
1. Looking toward the future
All employees need support, but HR professionals are becoming more attuned to the needs and wants of millennial workers who are typically more comfortable embracing new solutions. As the earliest adopters of technology become more senior professionals, and later adopters get more comfortable with technology, older processes will continue to phase out. Even though virtual enrollment has skyrocketed due more to necessity than anything else, it is likely people will stick with a more convenient, tech-driven solution.
2. It works
Through phone calls, video calls, online platforms, decision support, and even counselor-led enrollment elections, all enrollment experiences can be duplicated through virtual solutions. When fully virtual enrollment was more than necessary this past year, we saw that these solutions work and still support employees throughout the process.
Joi Tillman is vice president of voluntary at Sun Life U.S.
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