It should come as no shock that Open Enrollment (OE) season is the busiest time of the year for HR teams. HR professionals have a lot on their plates during OE, and employee benefit inquiries are just another headache. However, with the proper solutions in place, the burden of answering benefits inquiries can be alleviated. To help HR, we have to help their people…
Benefits literacy is much more of an issue than you might think. Get this: less than half of employers feel that employees are qualified to choose a best-fit health plan. This is why it’s imperative for brokers and benefit consultants to connect their clients to solutions that help bridge the benefits knowledge gap.
Let’s explore three ways you can help HR teams address benefits literacy:
Decision support functionality
Connecting your clients to technology with decision support functionality is a must.
Decision support tools are designed to empower employees by providing essential resources to understand their benefits. These tools simplify the complexities of benefits through various means, such as glossaries, side-by-side plan comparisons, and educational videos. Employees can also calculate out-of-pocket expenses with analytical tools as well.
Without decision support tools, benefits inquiries are often fielded back to HR teams or the benefit consultant. Even worse, employees may select a plan that doesn’t align with their needs. This will inevitably lead to frustration with their benefits and with their employer.
Mobile-responsive benefits technology
In a world of instant gratification, we spend most of our time accessing digital media at our fingertips. In other words, mobile devices are how we access most of our information. Benefits enrollment and access to plan information should be no different.
Your clients’ benefits technology needs to be mobile responsive. BenAdmin portals should be accessible on smartphones, tablets, and tablets, and laptops, allowing employees to make important benefits choices at their convenience. This enables employees to assess their options from the comfort of their homes, with support from their families if needed. Mobile-responsive technology empowers employees in their decision-making process, helping them feel confident in their benefits journey.
Introduce a benefits call center
A benefits call center serves as a centralized hub where employees can reach out for assistance regarding their employee benefits. Staffed with licensed representatives, call centers provide a direct line of communication for employees to inquire about various benefit options, eligibility criteria, enrollment processes, and any other related queries.
By offering personalized support and guidance over the phone, email, or chat, benefits call centers alleviate the burden on HR departments by handling routine inquiries. This not only saves HR professionals valuable time but also ensures that employees receive accurate and timely information, leading to enhanced satisfaction and efficiency across the organization’s benefits administration process.
Help alleviate administrative burden
Administering employee benefits places immense pressure on HR teams, with employee benefit inquiries adding to their already hefty workload. However, by implementing effective solutions, this burden can be significantly lightened.
Addressing benefits literacy is crucial, as many employees struggle to navigate the complexities of selecting the right health plan. Decision support tools, mobile-responsive technology, and benefits call centers offer practical avenues to empower employees and streamline the benefits enrollment process.
When employees use these resources, it saves HR hours of time while never dropping employees on their benefits enrollment journeys.
