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t’s open enrollment season, y’all. For HR teams, that means weeks of planning, coordinating, and fielding endless questions. Whether your HR team is cranking things up for this year or breathing a collective sigh of relief that it’s done for another 52 weeks, here’s the truth: the real opportunity to engage employees around their benefits begins after open enrollment ends.
Benefits Are Part of Compensation
Employee benefits are often treated as a transactional to-do list – health insurance, dental, vision, maybe a 401(k). Check. Check. Check. But these offerings are far more than line items, they’re a critical part of the total compensation package. When communicated effectively, benefits reinforce the company’s investment in its people. They signal care, stability, and value.
Employees need to be reminded—frequently and clearly—that their benefits are not just perks. They’re part of what the company pays them. From subsidized mental health support to tuition reimbursement, these offerings can significantly impact an employee’s financial and emotional well-being. But if they don’t know what’s available, or how to use it, the value is lost.
Post-Enrollment Is Prime for Messaging
The weeks following open enrollment are ideal for a phase two compensation comms strategy that reinforces what employees selected for their annual benefits and introduces others they may have overlooked. Consider these standing items:
- Monthly benefit highlights that break down offerings in digestible, relatable terms
- Stories from employees who’ve tapped into lesser-known programs
- Interactive guides or short videos that walk through how to access services
- Reminders tied to life events (like having a baby, buying a home, managing stress)
This is about retention as much as it is about education. When employees understand and appreciate the full scope of what their employer provides, they’re more likely to stay. Especially your top performers, who are constantly evaluating their worth in the market.
HR Teams Carry a Heavy Load
The back half of the year is a (very) long sprint for HR. Open enrollment is just one piece of a complex puzzle that often includes performance reviews, budget planning, and reporting. Add to that any number of short-term initiatives or program roll outs that also sit in the HR office. All while this team is navigating economic uncertainty, shifting workforce expectations, and the emotional toll these pressures place on internal teams.
In this environment, it’s easy for benefits comms to become reactive or templated. But now more than ever, employees need proactive, empathetic messaging that cuts through the noise.
Consistency, Clarity and Employer Brand Voice Matter
Effective benefits comms aren’t just informative, they follow the company’s employer brand current like everything else. This communication should reflect the company’s personality, values, and tone. Whether your culture is warm and conversational or bold and witty, the messaging should feel familiar and trustworthy.
Plan for continual reminders throughout the year – at least quarterly, not just during enrollment season. Employees have short-term memory when it comes to benefits and can never find the intranet page or PDF that explains what’s available to them. So, make it easy. Make it engaging. Make it feel like you write it, not the insurance company.
Lean In, Your People Are Listening.
In times of uncertainty like now, employees are craving stability. They want to know their employer supports them and is investing in their future. Benefits communications are a powerful way to deliver that message—not just once a year, but every month, every quarter, every touch point.
So as you close the books on open enrollment, consider adding this to your employee comms rotation. Your benefits strategy isn’t just about what you offer, it’s about how you talk about it. And that conversation continues throughout the year.
Could your HR team use an assist? Let us know, our team is well prepared to jump in and help.
