It’s that time of year again! For many, Open Enrollment is coming up quickly. Whether you have new providers, big changes, or keeping things status quo, here are communications trends for 2024 you may want to consider.

1. Personalize it!

54% of all employees said they wish they had personalized benefit recommendations, while half would feel more cared for if their employer improved its benefits communications. (MetLife, 2023) Consider using segmentation to tailor your messaging to target employees based on demographics or life stage.

2. Be smart.

We are inundated with information constantly from many directions – it’s enough to make your head spin! How do you cut through the noise when there are so many distractions in and out of the office? Consider highly interactive PDF documents or web-based guides to offer a more valuable experience. There are so many ways to highly customize (see number 1 above) including downloadable checklists, audio/video files, hyperlinks directly to provider landing pages, and buttons to pop-up text and more! Offer a convenient and memorable experience that employees can return to throughout enrollment and beyond.

3. Get visual.

According to HubSpot, when people hear information they likely only remember 10% of that info three days later. But, when paired with a relevant image, people retain 65% of that same information.

4. Be cautious with AI.

AI has taken communications by storm, but is it really for the better? Can it make your job as internal communicators easier? Perhaps… You must weigh concerns regarding accuracy and losing the human touch in your communications. Used responsibly, AI can help streamline content creation, providing insights to help communications teams make content more engaging.

5. Consider in-person events. 

Post-COVID, virtual events are still the norm, but we still crave social contact and interaction. There is value in communicating face to face. But ultimately you need to meet your employees where they are. Consider your audience, would they prefer in-person or virtual events, or maybe a mixture of both?

6. Keep communicating! 

65% of employees want their employer to communicate with them about benefits both during and after Open Enrollment. (MetLife, 2023) Keep your employees in the know all year round, not just for Open Enrollment. Have you considered a benefits website, that you can update for access to benefits information at any time, from anywhere?

7. Measure for success.

Have a defined goal – what are you looking to accomplish (ex. educate for better benefits understanding, increase enrollment rate in new medical plan, more FSA/HSA participation, etc.). Evaluate as you go (what worked well vs. what did not), reassess, and make adjustments so you are better prepared for the next Open Enrollment.

These are just some of the ways we’re helping our clients innovate and stay ahead of the curve for Open Enrollment… and beyond.

Reach out if you have any questions – we can help you build a communications strategy that will engage your employees in a way that is fun, meaningful, and productive.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered with this handy checklist for Open Enrollment communications!