August 2020 edition

For many, the  annual benefits enrollment period is almost here and HR leaders are working fast to find efficient and safe processes to enroll thousands of employees for 2021. Since most employees are still working from home, due to COVID-19 impacts, many companies are also eager to allow workers to enroll virtually. 

3 reasons why virtual benefits fairs are trending

The coronavirus has forced more businesses to transform traditional benefits fairs into online events.¹ Beyond keeping benefits staff  safe by avoiding contact with hundreds of colleagues walking through a conventional enrollment event, online benefits fairs offer numerous benefits:²

1. Families can participate: An employee’s spouse can participate in the fair and benefits education process.
2. More convenient: Employees find virtual fairs more convenient because they can “visit” anytime. Additionally, traditional remote workers can participate.
3. Consistent messaging: With the aid of professionally produced benefit microsites, HR leaders can present the same messaging to every employee and their family members.

Improve benefits enrollment engagement with these tips

Company benefits managers often report that employees aren’t reading their emails, which makes it difficult to break through with time-sensitive enrollment information.

This year, try the following tips to improve benefits engagement:³

• Find an alternative to  paper enrollment forms
• Hold virtual group meetings and invite spouses
• Educate employees with one-on-one co-browsing sessions
• Drip text (SMS) messages to employees about enrollment details
• Provide quizzes to engage employees

View this interactive quiz we created to help employees determine their planning personality and get tips on how to best navigate open enrollment.

Virtual engagement support

For large organizations looking for a quicker path, Securian Financial is offering virtual benefits fair and engagement support this year.

Our clients can choose a total virtual benefits fair experience – complete with platform recommendations, staff support, compelling education materials and digital engagement tools. Or everything can be integrated with the client-selected virtual platform and customized to help employees learn about their benefits options.

Our online decision support tool – Benefit Scout™ – uses artificial intelligence to  help guide employees through the decision process. Step-by-step guidance allows employees to learn about their benefits offerings – while comparing costs and receiving coverage recommendations specific to their plan. So employees are better equipped to make the best benefits choice for them. The result is less guesswork for employees and fewer questions for human resources staff.

We can help make the benefits enrollment experience a virtual success during these challenging times. Contact us today – we’re here to support you every step of the way.