Open enrollment season is a critical window for employees to make informed decisions about their health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits. Yet all too often, busy schedules, remote work, and “Zoom fatigue” conspire to depress attendance at informational meetings—leading to confusion, missed deadlines, and suboptimal plan choices. For HR professionals, driving strong participation isn’t just about box-checking; it directly impacts employee satisfaction, benefits ROI, and even compliance.

In this post, we’ll explore seven proven strategies to get employees into the room (physical or virtual) and ensure they leave knowledgeable, engaged, and confident in their benefits elections.

1. Enlist Executive Sponsors and Managers

Why It Works: When leadership publicly emphasizes the importance of open enrollment, employees take notice.

• CEO/Head of HR Kickoff: Have a short video or all-hands message from your CEO or CHRO explaining why benefits elections matter—for both health and personal finances.
• Frontline Manager “Push”: Equip managers with talking points and email templates so they can personally remind direct reports to attend. Peer-to-peer nudges often outperform generic HR announcements.
• Departmental Champions: Identify “benefits ambassadors” in each team to answer questions, share success stories (e.g., how someone saved on prescriptions), and encourage attendance.

2. Personalize Invitations and Reminders

Why It Works: Generic mass emails get ignored; targeted messaging feels relevant.

• Segmented Emails: Tailor invites by life stage—new hires get a “Welcome to benefits” intro; mid-career employees see messages on family coverage; near-retirees receive 401(k) and healthcare planning highlights.
• Calendar Invites: Send a calendar hold—not just a “Save the Date” email—to block an hour on employees’ schedules. Include agenda bullets (“Health plan updates, HSA changes, voluntary benefits overview”) so they know what to expect.
• SMS/Text Nudges: For mobile-first workers, a brief text (“Reminder: Your Benefits Enrollment Meeting is tomorrow at 2 PM—join here [link]”) drives last-minute attendance.

3. Offer Incentives and Gamification

Why It Works: Small rewards and friendly competition tap into extrinsic motivation.

• Raffle Prizes: Enter attendees into a drawing for gift cards, extra PTO hours, or company swag. Announce winners in a follow-up email to reinforce event value.
• Departmental Contests: Track attendance by team; the department with the highest participation rate wins a catered lunch or team offsite activity.
• Badge & Points System: Use your intranet or benefits portal to award digital badges when employees attend. Printable certificates, “Benefits Pro” badges on intranet profiles, or point-based reward catalogs can all boost engagement.

4. Break Content into Micro-Sessions

Why It Works: Short, focused presentations respect employees’ time and attention span.

• 15-Minute Modules: Instead of a single one-hour session, offer three 15-minute deep dives—e.g., “Medical Plan Changes,” “Maximizing Your HSA,” “Voluntary Benefits Highlights.” Employees can attend only the segments most relevant to them.
• Lunch-and-Learns: Host sessions during lunch hour with free boxed lunches or virtual food-delivery credits for remote attendees.
• Office-Hours Format: Schedule “drop-in” hours where employees can stop by (physically or virtually) for quick Q&As—no formal presentation required.

5. Embrace Hybrid and On-Demand Formats

Why It Works: Flexibility accommodates diverse work styles and schedules.

• Live Virtual Webinars: Use video-conferencing platforms with breakout rooms. Record each session and host recordings on your HR portal for on-demand viewing.
• Interactive Chatbot & FAQ Hub: Deploy a benefits chatbot on your intranet that answers common enrollment questions 24/7 and prompts employees to join live sessions for complex topics.
• Podcast or Audio Briefing: Produce short audio summaries (5–7 minutes) that employees can listen to during commutes or while exercising—then include a CTA to attend a full webinar or Q&A.

6. Leverage Peer to Peer Education

Why It Works: Employees trust colleagues who’ve “been there” more than impersonal HR communications.

• Benefits Champions Network: Recruit volunteers across the organization who are particularly passionate about benefits—retirees who mastered HSAs, parents who navigated pediatric coverage—and host small group huddles.
• Lunch-Table Panels: Set up informal roundtables where 4–6 employees can share what they learned and ask questions in a judgment-free zone. Provide a facilitator guide and light refreshments.
• Employee Testimonials: Record short videos of real employees explaining how they navigated open enrollment, saved money, or found a plan that fit their needs. Share these clips in countdown emails and on your intranet.

7. Communicate Clearly and Visually

Why It Works: Clear, plain-language content lowers the barrier to engagement.

• Infographics & Cheatsheets: Develop one-page visuals that compare plan options, highlight new benefits, and outline key deadlines. Place printed posters near high-traffic areas (break rooms, elevators) and digital versions in emails and on Slack channels.
• Short Explainer Videos: Produce 2-3 minute videos for each benefit category. Use captions for silent auto-play in chat channels.
• Interactive Decision Tools: Embed an online quiz or decision-tree (“What medical plan is right for you?”) that leads to personalized recommendations—then prompt employees to attend a deeper dive session.

Measuring Success and Iterating

To refine your strategy year over year, track the following metrics:

• Attendance Rates: Segment by format (in-person vs. virtual), department, and job level to identify gaps.
• Engagement Analytics: Monitor click-through rates on invites, video views, and portal log-ins.
• Knowledge Assessments: Conduct quick pre- and post-session polls to gauge understanding and satisfaction.
• Enrollment Accuracy: Measure error rates in submitted elections—lower errors indicate better comprehension.
• Feedback Surveys: Immediately after sessions, solicit input on what worked and what didn’t; incorporate suggestions into next year’s plan.

Conclusion

Driving high attendance at open enrollment meetings requires a blend of strategic planning, targeted communications, and employee-centric design. By enlisting leadership support, personalizing invitations, offering compelling incentives, breaking content into digestible micro-sessions, and embracing flexible delivery formats, HR professionals can transform enrollment from a compliance exercise into a truly engaging experience.

The result? Employees who are informed, confident in their benefit elections, and more likely to leverage the full value of their total rewards package—benefitting both your workforce and your organization’s bottom line.

Ready to elevate your open enrollment strategy? Contact an Employee Benefits Advisor at HUB International for customized enrollment design, communication planning, and benefits technology solutions that drive participation and satisfaction.