Your employees are busy. Here are five strategies to cut through the clutter and capture their attention during Open Enrollment.

1. Show instead of tell.

People are more likely to remember images and pictures than words alone. Make your Open Enrollment communication more effective by:

• Incorporating infographics and visual aids: Break down complex information into visually appealing formats such as charts or diagrams.
• Using simplified language and scannable text:
• Delineate text with headings and subheadings.
• Add bullet points to make information easier to digest.
• Highlight key points with bolding, colors, and call-out boxes.

2. Make it personal.

Employees don’t want to sift through lengthy texts to find important information. Try these tactics to make your communication concise and relevant:

• Individualized messages: Help employees with enrollment decisions by providing personalized information about upcoming changes to their current benefits or premiums or current coverage amounts.
• Targeted group messages: Make the messages they receive relevant. For bigger benefit changes that impact certain groups, send targeted communication.

3. Go digital.

Digital communication is a great way to grab attention.

• Emails: Keep the message brief and include one clearly identified call to action. Provide multiple touchpoints throughout enrollment (such as start of enrollment, midpoint, and the day before enrollment ends).
• Benefit websites: Websites can help employees easily find what they need. You can keep it simple, such as building a dedicated Open Enrollment page in SharePoint or developing a more robust standalone site. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly—about 91% of Americans own a smartphone (Source: Pew Research Center, 2024).
• Videos: Pull the viewer in with engaging videos that elicit an emotional connection. Videos don’t need slick production effects to make a mark. Communicate key messages with leadership interviews or employee testimonials. Shorter videos (less than 5 minutes) are more likely to hold attention.

4. Use decision tools.

Open Enrollment can be overwhelming. Decision tools can help employees choose the benefits that are right for them.

• Comparison tools: Compare premiums and out-of-pocket costs between medical plans.
• Savings calculators: Show potential savings with high deductible plans/health savings accounts (HSAs) or how HSAs and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) can reduce taxes.
• Static tools: Even simple Excel spreadsheets or paper worksheets can be effective.

5. Try the human touch.

Although chatbots (like ChatGPT) are popular ways to answer common questions, some questions are complicated. Many times, employees just want to talk to a real person. Webinars, in-person or virtual benefits fairs, and one-on-one consultations provide avenues for support and opportunities for employees to ask questions or talk to benefits advisors.

If managers are the primary source of benefits information, be sure to equip them with the right tools to help employees, such as Frequently Asked Questions.