Originally published in HR News December 8, 2022
Technology has always been rapidly changing, but now it’s even speeding up the rate at which industries are forced to change with it. A survey recently found that most companies have started using cloud-based technology in order to keep up with the evolving demands of benefits applications and payroll tasks.
Making the decision to implement employee benefits technology can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider, and you want to make sure that you do everything correctly in order to get the most out of your investment.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the dos and don’ts of implementing employee benefits technology so that you can make the best decision for your company.
Balancing Manual and Automated Processes
One of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make when implementing employee benefits technology is how much of the process you want to automate. While not all of your HR-related processes may be eligible for automation, it’s important to take the time and identify all of the areas that could benefit from improved efficiency and greater accuracy.
For example, automating your open enrollment process can be a great way to speed up the amount of time it takes for employees to enroll in benefits. If there are too many manual touch points involved in the process, employees may become frustrated and less likely to enroll in benefits altogether. Automation can also help you keep track of eligibility and ensure that employees are enrolling in the right benefits at the right time, helping to ensure that all employees have access to the coverage they need.
Building a Seamless User Experience
When you’re implementing employee benefits technology as well as HR technology, it’s important to keep the user experience in mind. While you may want to prioritize establishing a new benefits platform for the employees as quickly as possible, you don’t want to do this while sacrificing the quality of the solution itself.
Make sure that you take the time to choose a user-friendly interface that employees will be able to understand and navigate with ease. If you choose a platform that is difficult to use or doesn’t provide the right level of instruction, employees will be less likely to take advantage of the benefits that are available to them. They also may not be able to properly utilize the features of the platform, which can lead to potential issues down the road.
Don’t forget to test your platform before rolling it out to employees. You can do this by beta testing with a small group of employees or by using an employee feedback survey.
Deciding on Self-Service vs. Employer Managed Onboarding
Another important decision you’ll have to make when implementing employee benefits technology is whether you want to offer a self-service platform or an employer-managed onboarding process.
Self-service platforms give employees the ability to enroll in benefits and manage their own account. This can be a great way to empower employees and give them more control over their benefits. However, it can also lead to confusion and frustration if not done correctly.
Employer-managed onboarding, on the other hand, gives you more control over the process. You’ll be able to help employees enroll in benefits and answer any questions they may have. While this option requires more work on your part, it can be beneficial for employees who need more high-touch support.
Your benefits technology platform should be capable of both options so that you have the flexibility to meet your employees where they are.
Choosing a System with the Right Integrations
When you’re implementing employee benefits technology, it’s important to choose a system capable of supporting the right integrations. You’ll want to make sure that your platform integrates with your HRIS system and payroll software, and doesn’t limit you to certain carriers. This will make it easier for you to manage employee benefits and keep track of data.
One of the benefits of implementing employee benefits technology is that it can help to reduce the amount of manual data entry needed by HR between carrier systems, your benefits platform, and payroll software. Siloed enrollment, payroll, and benefits data can also lead to errors. For example, if an employee changes their address in the payroll system but the benefits system is not updated, they may not receive important communications about their benefits. Defining systems of record for benefits vs. demographic information and having a single source of truth for employee data can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no discrepancies.
When you choose a platform that integrates with your HRIS system, payroll software, and has the flexibility to integrate with any carrier, you’ll be able to automate many of the processes that are currently handled manually. This will save you time and energy, while reducing data entry errors and allowing you to focus on other important tasks.
Employee Benefits are Key
Employee benefits are a vital part of any company. However, they can also be a lot of work to manage. That’s where employee benefits technology comes in. Whether you’re looking to automate the enrollment process or create a more user-friendly interface, the important thing is to find a solution that works for your company and can maximize employee adoption.
