Open Enrollment (OE) is one of the most critical times of the year for employers and HR teams. It’s the period when employees make decisions about their benefits that impact their financial, physical, and emotional well-being for the upcoming year. But how can employers ensure that their benefits offering and open enrollment process is effective, accessible, and aligned with employees’ needs? The answer lies in conducting post-OE surveys.
The importance of post-Open Enrollment surveys
Post-OE surveys offer a golden opportunity for employers to gain insights into the employee experience and identify areas for improvement. Here are some key reasons why these surveys are essential:
Measure employee satisfaction
Post-OE surveys allow employers to gauge how satisfied employees are with their benefits and the enrollment process — including the resources provided, communication strategies, and decision-making tools.
Improve future OE processes
The feedback collected can help HR teams pinpoint gaps or challenges in the current process, such as confusing benefits options or a lack of support during enrollment.
Boost engagement and retention
When employees feel heard and know their input influences change, they are more likely to engage with future benefits programs and trust their employer’s commitment to their well-being.
Enhance benefits communication
By understanding what worked and what didn’t, employers can refine their communication strategies to ensure employees are made aware of the resources available to them when making critical benefits decisions.
Key questions to include in a post-Open Enrollment survey
Crafting an effective survey is all about asking the right questions. Below are some categories and example questions to guide your survey design:
1. Overall satisfaction
- How satisfied were you with the Open Enrollment process this year?
- Did the process meet your expectations?
2. Communication
- Did you find the communications about Open Enrollment clear and timely?
- What additional information or resources would have been helpful?
3. Technology and tools
- Was the benefits enrollment platform easy to navigate?
- Did you experience any technical difficulties during the enrollment process?
4. Support and resources
- Were the available decision-support tools (e.g., benefits comparison charts, cost calculators) helpful?
- Did you feel you had adequate support to make informed decisions? (e.g., access to HR representatives, call center support)
5. Suggestions for improvement
- What would you like to see done differently in next year’s open enrollment?
- Are there any benefits options you felt were missing or unclear?
6. Employee experience
- How confident do you feel about the benefits choices you made?
- Did you encounter any barriers or frustrations during the process? If yes, please explain.
Best practices for conducting post-Open Enrollment surveys
To ensure your survey is effective and yields actionable insights, follow these best practices:
Keep it short and focused
Aim for a survey that takes no more than 10 minutes to complete.
Use a mix of question types
Include multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions to capture quantitative and qualitative feedback.
Maintain anonymity
Allow employees to respond anonymously to encourage honest and constructive feedback.
Share the results
Communicate the key findings and outline the steps you plan to take based on the feedback.
Act on the feedback
Demonstrating that you’ve listened and implemented changes builds trust and sets the stage for a more successful OE next year.
The value of post-Open Enrollment surveys
Conducting a post-OE survey is a simple yet powerful way to assess and improve your open enrollment process. By prioritizing employee feedback, employers can create a smoother, more engaging experience that ensures employees feel supported and confident in their benefits decisions. Start planning your post-OE survey today and turn insights into action for a better benefits strategy tomorrow.
