Use Texting to Streamline Your Open-Enrollment Process

There is a lot of time and money wasted in inefficient processes within a company. The best way to combat poor strategies is by working to streamline the processes and incorporate technology that can offer solutions. If your company spends as much as the average business on open enrollment processes for employees each year, then you are using 336 business hours on your process and only giving employees about one real hour to select their benefits, according to a report by Aflac.

And that is assuming that your company has most employees within a reachable distance for HR. How much of your team works remotely? Connecting with employees that work outside of the traditional office space can be a real challenge for programs like this to get completed. However, insurance is a benefit that helps you bring in top talent, so you cannot afford to frustrate your employees with a poor process. You also really can’t afford a process that wastes HR time, costing you valuable hours of the business day that tie up top employees who are both running the enrollment program and trying to get signed up for the right plan. Here’s how you can streamline open enrollment:

Improving Open Enrollment With Text

Nearly every American adult now has a working phone with text messaging, according to the Pew Research Center. And, nearly all of those with smartphones are on them frequently throughout the day. People are checking their messages on breaks and throughout their work day. Many workplaces are already integrating phones into their normal work routines, expecting employees to work with clients and be available to managers even when remote. This on-the-go strategy is great for efficiency and ensuring that employees stay reachable. Reach your employees efficiently with text messaging.

Text messaging is an easy way to send out texts to large groups and know that information is not being missed. The average adult reads at least 98 percent of their text messages, most within minutes. Mobile devices always bring a well-connected mentality that will tie your team together, keeping them on the same page. Texting information about open enrollment can allow your HR department to spend less time worrying about whether or not information has been seen and received and more time worrying about other tasks.

Waste Less Time with Mass Text

Texts are typically fast and straight to the point. When employees are sent out information about open enrollment through text notifications about important dates and reminders about deadlines, they are more likely to get seen. Your HR team can use text messaging automation to set up text messages and reminders that go out at various times that are most likely to get a response from your employees.

Remind employees right before lunch or at the beginning of the day to hand in paperwork.

• Send information about plans for employees to review a day or two before their meeting so they are better prepared to ask questions and make choices.
• Send out meeting reminders so the time slot is unlikely to be left vacant.
• Use tracking links to track who is accessing forms and information, sending out reminders to those who have failed to start (or finish) the process.
• Send out thank you messages and confirmations so that employees know they have completed required steps of the process.
• Establish automatic responses to be sent out when FAQs are asked, such as: “When does enrollment start?” or “When does open enrollment end?”
• Follow up with a request for feedback, getting employee opinions about your process to improve for next year.
• Save messages, steps and automation prompts that apply for next year’s process.

Keep pushing for a better process. With tools like automated texting, your employees can get a lot more done and you can keep your budgets as low as possible.