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Mid-Year Engagement: Keeping Benefits Top of Mind Before Open Enrollment 

June 4, 2025

If Open Enrollment feels like a seasonal scramble, you’re not alone. For many HR teams, the months leading up to enrollment are heads-down and hectic, while the months after are eerily quiet. 

But here’s the thing: benefits aren’t just for Q4. And the more visible, useful, and timely they feel to employees, the more engaged they’ll be when OE rolls around again. 

Welcome to your mid-year moment. 

In this blog, we’ll explore why engagement shouldn’t go dormant during the summer and how a few well-timed nudges can help your team boost participation, increase satisfaction, and make Open Enrollment less overwhelming for everyone involved. 

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Why Mid-Year Matters

By June, OE feels far away. Employees are focused on vacations, school breaks, or trying to get through performance reviews. But benefits don’t take summers off—and neither should your communications strategy. 

Staying visible at mid-year helps HR teams: 

  • Remind employees of the value they already have 
  • Encourage smarter, earlier benefits decisions in Q4 
  • Support life events that may trigger coverage needs (think: weddings, babies, moves) 
  • Reinforce that HR is a partner—not just a form to fill out once a year 

    It doesn’t take a full campaign to make an impact. A short, relevant, human message can go a long way. 

    What to Share This Summer

    Your employees don’t need another long email. They need quick, clear nudges that make their benefits feel timely and valuable. Here are a few mid-year messaging ideas to try: 

    1. Wellness Reminders

    Highlight benefits that tie into summer and mental health: EAPs, gym reimbursements, vacation policies, or preventative care check-ins.

    “Have you used your wellness credits yet this year? Summer’s a great time to take care of you.”

    2. Utilization Tips

    Re-engage employees with tools they may have forgotten: FSAs, telehealth, tuition reimbursement, or financial wellness programs.

    “If you enrolled in an FSA, now’s the time to make the most of it. Here’s how to check your balance and plan ahead.”

    3. Mini Previews of OE 

    Start soft-launching key changes or improvements coming this fall. That way, nothing feels like a surprise during OE season.

    “We’re making updates to next year’s health plans based on your feedback—stay tuned for details in September.”

    4. Feedback Requests 

    If you haven’t done a post-OE survey, now’s the time to gather feedback that can inform what’s next. 

    “Got a minute? Tell us how your benefits are working for you so we can improve what’s coming.” 

    Communication Tips for Better Mid-Year Engagement 

    This doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a full campaign or massive design assets to reach people.

    Here are a few best practices:

    • Keep it light: Summer is busy. Make messages easy to skim. 
    • Use friendly subject lines: “Have You Used This Benefit Yet?” will get more clicks than “Mid-Year Benefits Update.” 
    • Make it mobile-friendly: SMS or short email = quick action. 
    • Make it actionable: Include links to the portal, FAQs, or HR support. 
    • Segment if you can: If your tech allows, tailor messages by location, eligibility, or usage. 

    Want to send automated, personalized nudges without adding to your team’s plate? See how Selerix Engage can help.

    Momentum Now Means Less Scrambling Later 

    Think of mid-year engagement like stretching before a big run. It may not feel urgent, but it keeps things smoother when the pace picks up. 

    Employees who feel informed and supported before OE are more likely to: 

    • Pay attention to plan updates 
    • Enroll on time 
    • Make smarter decisions 
    • Ask better questions (which means fewer fires for HR) 

          It doesn’t take much to move the needle. Just a few intentional messages can help employees feel seen, supported, and prepared. 

          Take the Next Step

          Open Enrollment may still be a few months out, but the groundwork starts now. Keeping benefits top of mind with helpful mid-year messaging is one of the simplest ways to build momentum and trust. 

          Need help planning your summer strategy? Or want to take your reminders to the next level? 

          Grab our Open Enrollment guide for more ideas, templates, and tools.

          Or talk to a Selerix expert about how Selerix Engage can automate your comms and make employee engagement a whole lot easier. 

          Because great OE starts long before the portal opens. Let’s get ahead of it—together. 

          Want to stay ahead of the curve?

          Selerix is here to help you every step of the way. Our team has your back with tools, support, and strategies to turn OE into one of the best-run projects of your year.

          Let’s make this your strongest Open Enrollment season yet.

          Take First Step

          TBX and SyncStream Are Now Part of Selerix.

          Together, we are delivering full benefits enrollment, ACA compliance and employee engagement solution.

          We’re excited to support your next chapter. Learn more about TBX and SyncStream today!

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