Many not so good things have happened over the past couple years, but at least one good thing has happened. The pressure of virtual enrollments has caused many insurance carriers to develop new ways for employees to learn about their benefits. And, I am happy to say, it has worked.
All generations agree – electronic enrollments are easier
Sun Life checked in with 1,000 employees and found out 88% find electronic enrollments easier than dealing with paper forms. We wondered if there was a generational gap in that result, but there isn’t. Across all generations, employees find enrolling electronically easier. That right there says a lot about the direction we are on.
Benefits education needs to be as easy as we can make it for employees so that they sign up for the benefits they need.
Make it easy for employees to ask questions
Our survey also found that virtual group or one-to-one meetings were very helpful for those who had the option. This is a resource that I recommend you offer to all employees. Many can feel overwhelmed picking the right benefit mix and having someone to talk to can really help. We find that chat is really growing and is used 37% of the time it is offered. Please make sure you always offer at least a chat function for employees to ask quick questions, but a way to schedule time with a benefits resource is even better.
Offer multiple information sources
The past couple years have also shown that we have different ways we like to receive information so the more vehicles the better. Personally, I prefer email, but I have a colleague who gets so much email she finds that text messages get her attention more now. Why make employees choose? Choose an insurance carrier that makes it easy for you to share benefits education in multiple vehicles with no extra effort. Employees will be grateful for the opportunity to pick and choose how they are educated on their benefits.
Easy access to resources
Benefits education only helps if employees can access them. Well, I have good news. The employees in our survey had no trouble accessing the resources that were provided. Sometimes we hear that older generations might have trouble with online resources, but that was not what we heard. Overwhelmingly across all generations they agreed they could easily access educational resources. 96% of employees said they were able to understand their benefits so keep providing the education. They are using it and finding it helpful.
Here are some additional resources that share what we learned from our survey
I’ll leave you one with final resource to help you with your next virtual enrollment. Joi Tillman, Sun Life VP of Voluntary, recently wrote an article promoting 5 tips for your next virtual enrollment. It is a great read and full of ideas that can help everyone.
This article is meant to provide general information only. It’s not professional medical or legal advice, or a substitute for that advice.
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, Wellesley Hills, MA. For New York group policies: Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.), Lansing, MI
