The post-open enrollment checklist you’ve been waiting for

Open enrollment season is a marathon of important decisions, paperwork, and deadlines for HR teams, so the relief of the season ending is undeniable. But, before you move on from open enrollment, there’s a crucial step that’s often overlooked: the post-open enrollment checklist.

Keep reading as we take you through the essential tasks and considerations you need to address after the enrollment period ends, ensuring that your employees are ready to take full advantage of their benefits choices next year and you are positioned for successful future open enrollment seasons.

HR post-open enrollment meeting

After open enrollment ends, HR leaders could schedule a post-open enrollment meeting to connect with their team to review and assess the open enrollment process based on its recent success rate. Ask questions like: 

• What went well during open enrollment this year? 
• What open enrollment challenges did your HR team members experience? 
• Are there any process change suggestions for future open enrollments? 

Provide a platform for your team members to discuss their accomplishments, identify areas for improvement, and ask questions to ensure your team is aligned and prepared to help employees with their benefits.

Post-open enrollment surveys

Post-open enrollment surveys are a great way for employers to gather feedback from  employees about their benefits enrollment experience. These surveys can help you assess the effectiveness of your communication during open enrollment, the clarity of your benefits plan information, and the overall satisfaction of your employees. By collecting and analyzing employee input, you can identify areas for improvement, make necessary adjustments, and enhance the benefits enrollment process for the next year. 

Performance tracking

Performance tracking for post-open enrollment is a crucial step that allows employers the chance to evaluate the efficiency and success of their open enrollment process. By monitoring key performance metrics, such as completion rates, accuracy of employee data, and how issues were resolved, you can ensure that your benefits administration is running smoothly. It also allows you to identify areas that may need improvement in future open enrollment periods to create a more streamlined and employee-friendly experience. 

Follow up with employees

With employee financial wellness dropping to 42 percent in the last year, it’s more important than ever to have consistent benefits communication with your employees after open enrollment to ensure they are well informed and supported throughout the year.  

• Send personalized emails to each employee, summarizing their benefit selections and any changes they’ve made during the open enrollment period. 
• Let your employees know that you are available to answer any questions or concerns that they may have about their benefits selections. This could be through email, phone, or in-person meetings.
• Offer ongoing educational resources, such as handouts or videos to help employees understand their benefits and how to make the most of them.

Start planning for next OE

Although next year’s open enrollment might seem far away, starting your prep work now is a helpful way to guarantee a more seamless and effective open enrollment process. Starting early allows your team to: 

• Review what you’ve learned from the previous enrollment. 
• Implement necessary process improvements.
• Stay up-to-date with any changing regulations and benefits offerings. 

It also gives you more time to create communication strategies, educational materials, and train your team so they are well-prepared when the next open enrollment period arrives. 

Are you interested in discovering more tips on how to have a successful open enrollment? Check out our guide below!

The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only. It is not legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, you should consult your own legal counsel, tax and investment advisers. 

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