Making Employee Benefits Open Enrollment Easier for Everyone

Open enrollment is one of the most meaningful times of the year for both employees and employers.

For employers, the decisions you make around benefits offerings, communications, and resources directly shape how supported and valued your people feel.

For employees, benefits selections impact their mental, physical, and financial well-being—and often their families’ well-being too. Yet too often, the enrollment process gets treated as just another box to check—rushed through, defaulting to last year’s selections, and missing valuable opportunities to make better choices.

The data tells a concerning story: nearly 70% of employees spend 30 minutes or less reviewing their benefits during open enrollment, and most simply stick with their previous selections. To put this in perspective, the average American spends almost 5 times longer on social media than they do reviewing benefit options during the entire enrollment period.

Here’s what we know: when employees take the time to really engage with open enrollment, they make better decisions. And when that happens, job satisfaction, retention, and engagement all improve. As HR professionals, you have the power to help. Here’s how:

Prioritize Education and Clarity When Discussing Employee Benefits Options

One of the biggest reasons employees rush through enrollment is a lack of understanding. Clear, accessible education makes all the difference. Consider these approaches:

• Host webinars or interactive workshops where employees can get answers to their questions
• Create comparison charts and easy-to-understand guides that break down complex information
• Send personalized communications that highlight changes or key benefits most relevant to each person

The more informed and confident your employees feel, the more time they’ll invest in the open enrollment process.

Embrace User-Friendly Technology

Technology can transform open enrollment from a confusing chore into a streamlined, empowering experience. When you invest in intuitive, mobile-friendly platforms, you give your people the flexibility to explore their benefits options on their own time—at home with family or during a quiet moment at work.

Look for enrollment platforms that include:

• Plan tools that provide side-by-side comparisons of coverage, costs, and provider networks
• Decision-support features like cost estimators, recommendation engines, or guidance based on individual lifestyle and health needs
• Integration with payroll and HR systems to reduce errors and ensure seamless updates

Technology is great, but ensuring the process is engaging and educational can help to maximize results. If the platform is too basic or lacks context, employees may rush through without truly understanding their choices.

Consider adding interactive content like:

• Short explainer videos embedded in the platform
• Helpful tips or FAQs that appear during the selection process
• Personalized dashboards that highlight changes from the previous year or flag underutilized benefits

User-friendly technology should do more than digitize the process. It should empower your employees to make informed, confident decisions about their benefits. When done right, it becomes the foundation of a positive open enrollment experience.

It’s also important to track engagement metrics—like time spent on the platform, resources accessed, or completion rates—to identify where your people might need more support. These insights can guide future improvements and help you proactively reach out to employees who may be struggling.

Support Younger Workers Through Employee Benefits Selection

Younger employees (Gen Z) are often the most likely to rush through enrollment. For many, it’s their first real experience navigating benefits, and it can feel overwhelming. A little extra support—gentle reminders, dedicated workshops, or one-on-one guidance—can help them understand the long-term value of their options and ensure they don’t miss critical coverage that could benefit them for years to come.

Provide Accessible Support for Any Open Enrollment Questions

Not every employee feels confident about benefits, and that’s perfectly okay. A dedicated support system can help reduce anxiety and confusion during enrollment. You might consider:

• Offering one-on-one consultations with HR or benefits advisors
• Setting up a help desk, hotline, or comprehensive FAQ resource for quick questions
• Encouraging peer-to-peer discussions among employees who are familiar with the process

Accessible, personalized support empowers your people to slow down and make confident, informed selections that truly work for their lives.

Create a Culture of Engagement

When employees feel valued and connected to your organization, they’re naturally more invested in processes like open enrollment. You can build this culture by:

• Keeping communication about employee benefits open and ongoing throughout the year
• Actively seeking feedback on the enrollment experience and making meaningful improvements
• Recognizing employees who engage thoughtfully in benefits programs

Every effort you make contributes to a workplace culture where benefits are seen as part of the bigger picture of employee well-being and support.

Make Employee Benefits Open Enrollment Successful for Everyone

Encouraging employees to invest more time in open enrollment isn’t about checking a compliance box—it’s about creating a culture of informed decision-making, genuine engagement, and care for your people. The payoff is significant: employees who understand and appreciate their benefits are more satisfied, more loyal, and more likely to feel truly supported in both their professional and personal lives.

At Namely, we believe that when you simplify and humanize the open enrollment process, you create opportunities for deeper employee engagement and satisfaction. Our platform is designed to make benefits enrollment intuitive and empowering for everyone on your team. Ready to transform your open enrollment experience? Let’s talk about how we can help you create a benefits process that truly works for your people.