As many organizations approach their open enrollments, it’s important to reflect on the employee benefits challenges of the past year and convert them to goals for the upcoming plan year. Arizent, a digital media company, recently conducted research into the challenges and tips for improving benefits usage.
The employee benefits arena is always evolving along with the needs of individual employees; therefore, benefits packages can always be improved upon.
Perceived challenges
It’s important to note that no two organizations are the same, but employee benefits leaders commonly reported the following challenges:
- Offering well-rounded voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits are often used to supplement coverage and fill coverage gaps, so it’s important to choose benefits that fit employees’ needs.
- Promoting preventive care and chronic illness management programs. When individuals skip preventive care, serious health conditions can develop and progress undetected, leading to costly and potentially life-threatening outcomes.
- Explaining benefits effectively. Employees struggle to efficiently use benefits they do not understand.
- Utilizing broker expertise. After 40 years in the industry, we are experts at what we do. We work tirelessly to ensure our clients are given the information and tools they need to choose the best benefits package for their organization. We are here to help.
Future goals
Employee benefits leaders who reported high benefit utilization shared what they believe drove their success. According to these leaders, the top 5 ways to improve benefit usage are to:
- Track benefit participation through employee surveys. Not only can surveys be used to gain insight into the most popular benefits, but they can also highlight areas of improvement.
- Make benefits accessible. This could entail offering a benefits website portal, having benefits materials in accessible locations, and promoting the Creative Benefits ESR team.
- Make educational benefits information readily available. Emails, flyers, videos, virtual explainer recordings, and in-person meetings are great ways to offer information to fit unique needs.
- Provide benefits reminders and information before open enrollment. Employee benefits leaders recommend effectively communicating benefits options and information around 6 months prior to open enrollment or even year-round.
- Strongly encourage preventive care. As mentioned before, preventing or treating conditions early can boost cost-savings and improve overall wellness.
If you have any benefits or open enrollment-related questions, please contact your dedicated Creative Benefits, Inc. team member.